


Breakable Heaven

by dindjarindiaries



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Trauma, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Non-Explicit Sex, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:07:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 33,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29323680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dindjarindiaries/pseuds/dindjarindiaries
Summary: You never expected your last summer in Scespa to start with a whirlwind romance between yourself and a Mandalorian training in the Fighting Corps, but then you caught his brown eyes and your fate was set.With you being forced to another system and him just months away from hiding his face forever, you’re forced to make the most of what you have, pursuing as many adventures as possible with the knowledge that your shared heaven can crumble down at any moment.
Relationships: Din Djarin & Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	1. Bittersweet Sunset (Prologue)

**Author's Note:**

> Din is about 21 years old. Reader is around the same age.

It’s beautiful, how the colors grow more vibrant and more beautiful as the Scespa sun sinks lower and lower in the summer night sky. It’s marvelous to think that even as the night arrives with darkness taking over the light, the sky doesn’t lament. Instead, it gets more beautiful; there’s no mourning the sun’s disappearance. It accepts the nighttime with grace, exchanging the breathtaking shades of pink and orange for the sparkling stars of the galaxy. The transition is seamless, serene, and _stunning_.

But when you think of the man sleeping peacefully in your arms as your sun, you never want his vibrant colors to be exchanged for anything else.

You already have a hand threaded through the dark and overgrown curls atop his head, keeping it tucked underneath your chin as he lays on your chest. The grassy hill from which you watch Scespa’s sunset keeps you both cushioned well. You’ve spent yet another evening talking until your throats get sore and kissing until your lips sting, absorbing every moment until they start to break off into fractured memories, not unlike the stars that hang in the night sky. The day of training put him to sleep before you could even try to get him to watch the sunset with you.

One day, sooner than you’d like, this will be his everyday reality—but he’ll never have the chance to watch it without the filter of a helmet’s visor, or with your presence at his side.

Falling into this moment was a mistake, but it’s not a mistake you regret. It’s something that you know will hurt you later down the line, when the summer sunsets are exchanged for autumn ambers and you and your new lover are forced apart for an indeterminable amount of time. You won’t even get to call Scespa home anymore, and you don’t think he will, either. He’ll have to dedicate himself to a Creed rather than to you. You’ll have to dedicate yourself to a family business rather than to him. Your loyalties will lie elsewhere—perhaps in mind, but never in heart.

He releases a soft breath as he sleeps, his cheek pressing even more against your chest as his arms tighten on your waist. You smile to yourself, running your fingers through his hair to soothe him. You won’t let your thoughts stop you from living in this moment, freezing every moment you have with him so you can use it later to comfort yourself once it’s not as attainable.

You wonder how you let yourself get here. You’ve known for years that you would be leaving Scespa after this summer, as he’s known for years that he’ll have to finish his training and swear himself to a Creed that won’t leave room for you. But when the excitement and the adventures and the _love_ rolled in like a tidal wave, it took you both under and left no room for reason. Your lungs were inflamed by your desire, your hearts aching for affection. Everything else was forgotten the moment you stared into each other’s eyes.

It’s all still the same.

Somehow, you’re comforted by the fact that you’ll never forget this summer, nor the man in your arms. Wherever the galaxy takes the two of you after it submerges you in the darkness following your romantic sunset, you know you’ll always be in each other’s hearts, cementing your place like the stars have in the evening sky. You’ll glow just as brightly for each other, staying connected like constellations. As time goes on, you’ll just burn even hotter, waiting for the sweet relief of reunion—should it ever happen.

But, for now, you press a kiss to the head of your sun who burns your body, mind, and heart, letting him rest as he gets closer and closer to disappearing. You smile again, blinking away the sudden tears in your eyes at your bittersweet thoughts. With only so much time left to show his face to others, he’s choosing to give it all to you. That’s not something you can lament for.

Instead, you think of how you can turn the tide of the inevitable future, rearranging the stars in your sky to keep you both together and maintain your sweet, shared heaven—no matter the cost.


	2. Brown Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During a day of work, you meet a charming young man with beautiful brown eyes.

The things you would do for a _kriffing_ breeze—or at least another pair of hands to help.

The summers in Scespa have never been merciful and this year is no exception. Scespa’s sun beats down on you with intensity as you finish setting up your stand in the local marketplace. The store’s just two blocks away, but the warmer weather makes for much better business in stalls that easily line the streets. The planet’s always been a favorite of those in the galaxy who can afford the luxury of traveling for leisure and summer is the most popular season. That’s something your parents can’t ignore: it’s too good for business.

You release a heavy sigh as you finally take a seat. You’ve just finished making the stall look nice—an elegant white cloth to cover the wooden surface, a few handcrafted wooden tiers to display the products, and scattered artificial flowers for a delicate accent—and now, all you need to do is get everything on the stall. The crates of jars sit on the hovercart that’s still floating beside you and you start to get to work taking them and placing them where they belong. You make sure the labels are clearly visible, wanting to avoid what happened last summer when a customer mistook doctoset for amoxipan.

Once you’ve filled your display, you finally sit back and take a deep breath. The material of your shirt is thin, but it still feels heavy against the power Scespa’s sun. _It’s still early in the summer_ , you rant to yourself. _Why is it so kriffing hot?_

“ _Whew!_ That sun is _powerful!_ ” a voice from the stall beside you exclaims. You turn your head almost lazily to see none other than Drinna Baize dramatically fanning herself as she does every summer, smiling at you as she reaches for one of her homemade fans. “You need one, honey?” Drinna hands you a fan that’s painted beautiful with swirling designs in pink, orange, and yellow, reminding you of the beautiful sunsets the Scespa summers have to offer. As you reach out to take it, Drinna pulls it away with a laugh. “Don’t forget to pay for that!” She continues laughing even as she offers it up once again. “I’m just bein’ silly, honey, you can go ahead and take it.”

You playfully roll your eyes as you accept it, putting it to good use as soon as you lean back in your chair. “I fall for it every summer, Drinna,” you tell the orange Twi’lek, offering a smile as you shake your head. “Too bad this was the last time.”

“Oh, right,” Drinna sighs, looking at you with hardly concealed sadness. “You’re movin’ to the Brelle system, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.” You also sigh, tightening your jaw as you continue. “My parents still think it’s time.”

“Well, hon, you’re gettin’ older. It’s time you went out there and saw more of the galaxy, don’t ya’ think?”

You try your best to hold back a scoff as you cross your arms over your chest. “I _am_ getting older. But my parents still want to make decisions for me.”

Drinna lets out a loud coo of sympathy as you watch her shake her head slowly, causing her lekku to bounce gently with the movement. “I know you’re tired of the family business.”

“Well… not really _all_ of it.” You sit up a bit as you observe the jars on the tabletop in front of you. “In fact, I really _do_ love herbal medicine—but I don’t just want to make it and sell it.” You pick up a jar of the doctoset, still spotting the soft blue hue of the klochoot plant from which it was made. “I want to use it.”

“You wanna be a doctor?”

“ _No_ , no.” You release a breath as you place the doctoset back where it was. “I just… want to use my knowledge of it to help a greater cause.”

You can hear Drinna click her tongue with what sounds like admiration, and when you look over at her, you can see her giving you a gaze that’s full of exactly that. Your face heats up as you shake your head. “How noble of ya’, dear.”

“It’s not noble. Just… wishful, I guess.” You can see the approaching crowd of tourists and regulars as you sit up straighter in your chair. “It’s nothing but wishful thinking.”

Before you and Drinna can talk any longer, the rush of customers begins, keeping you busy as people ask all kinds of questions about the medicines. You’re happy to share the knowledge, though—as usual—it’s mostly perfectly healthy people who want to know how they can escape the inevitable bounds of life, futilely seeking to look younger and live longer. You, of course, offer remedies for that, but you longingly look at the jars of medicines that are meant for those in need, things that could save the lives of those people if they only _knew_ about it.

These thoughts remain at the back of your mind as you work, slapping on your best customer service face as you instead help those who _do_ show up to your stall. Even then, it’s not work that you necessarily hate, and so you can smile genuinely as you interact with them. It at least helps the time pass by as the Scespa sun beats down as unrelentingly as ever, though the warmth is certainly satisfying.

It’s while you’re restocking some of the jars that you happen to look up and catch a gaze from further away in the marketplace, instantly making you freeze where you are as you meet the pair of brown eyes. Though you’re certain you’ve never seen this person before, something about their gaze is so familiar that you can’t bring yourself to look away. The moment’s suspended in time as your heart somersaults in your chest, making you catch a breath in your throat as they also continue looking your way. If you could, you’re sure you’d never look away.

Until you realize just how long it’s been.

“Excuse me?” a customer asks, causing you to blink a few times as you clumsily set the jars onto the tabletop and face the Rodian woman who’s standing there. You can feel your embarrassment already settling in as you smile awkwardly at her.

“I’m sorry,” you gush, quickly placing the jars where they belong. “What can I help you with?”

You assist her as quickly as you can, curious to look back up and see if the young man with brown eyes is still there. As soon as you make your sale, you glance into the crowd, frowning a bit when he’s nowhere to be found. You don’t realize how obvious your searching is until Drinna’s voice speaks to you. “What’s goin’ on, hon?” she asks, handing a cloth bag to a customer and bidding them farewell before she faces you again. “You see someone you know or somethin’?”

You shake your head aimlessly. “No, I… never mind, Drinna, don’t worry.” You offer her a smile of reassurance. “I think the heat’s just getting to me.”

Drinna furrows her brow. “You want me to get ya’ some water?” She smiles as she starts to stand from her chair. “Or how about some lemonade?”

You return her smile with gratitude. “That would actually be really great, Drinna. Thank you so much.”

Drinna waves a hand at you. “No worries, darlin’. Just make sure no one steals anythin’ from my stall.” You give her a nod of reassurance, still smiling as you watch her walk off.

Almost immediately after, you’re caught off guard by a voice at your stall. “Pardon me?” It’s low yet somehow soft, instantly causing your head to turn once the words are spoken.

Right away, you catch the same pair of brown eyes from before, the breath nearly getting knocked out from your lungs as you observe up close just how deep and gentle his gaze is. You stare into his eyes for so long that you nearly forget to look at the rest of him, first noticing how his skin glows underneath the Scespa sun. He’s got a head full of dark hair that’s just a bit on the longer side, the ends curling as they fall in a messy yet endearing manner. Finally, you catch the boyish and charming smile he offers. “I—yes?” you stutter, trying to maintain your composure as you return his smile. “How can I help you?”

“Actually, I, um… wanted to see if I could help you.” You’re confused at first, raising an eyebrow as you watch him look almost nervously at his side. He lifts his hand and immediately you see the beautiful bloom of a wosac flower, its vibrant red and orange colors catching your eye as you nearly gasp with delight. “I noticed that you had some artificial flowers on display and thought you might want the real thing.” The words are rushed, as if he’s embarrassed to provide his reasoning.

His shyness is endearing and you can’t help giggling softly as you reach out to accept the wosac. “Wow, that’s… _very_ kind of you,” you insist, a jolt of electricity sparking through you when your fingers accidentally brush against his. “Thank you so much.”

He smiles and folds his hands behind his back. “You… don’t have to thank me.” His cheeks, adorned with a few freckles no doubt from the Scespa sun, are tinted with a soft pink as his gaze looks down at your table. “I hope you like wosacs. I—I think they’re really, um, pretty.” He shrugs, trying to meet your gaze again. You can tell he’s fidgeting with his hands behind his back as you keep the flower pressed against your chest.

“Well, it just so happens to be my favorite kind of flower.” You look down at it once again, setting the perfect bloom in the center of your display. “Is there anything I can interest you in?”

When you meet his eyes again, you can see his brow furrowed in slight confusion, but it straightens back out when he seems to realize what you’re asking. “Oh—uh, no, I don’t think so.” He gestures with his head to the flower. “That was it.” He smiles again in a way that makes your knees weak. “I’m… glad you like it.”

He starts to turn as if he’s going to leave, but you speak before he can. “Wait!” Instantly, he stops, looking at you with the kind of concern that makes you feel more appreciated than you have in a long time. “Can I at least get your name, so I can properly thank you?” You can hear the breath he holds in his chest as if he’s panicking at the simple question. You pity his shyness, tilting your head a bit as you give him an encouraging smile. “You _do_ have one of those, don’t you?”

He chuckles softly and nods. “Yeah, yeah, I do.” He clears his throat and faces you more directly. “It’s Din.”

“Din?” you echo, earning another nod. You reach out to shake his hand as you offer your name in return. “Well, thank you very much, Din. You made my day.”

Din smiles and takes your hand—but, instead of shaking it, he lifts it to his lips and leaves a chaste kiss on your knuckle. Instead of responding verbally, he just nods again, turning and walking back to where he came from. You watch him the whole way, sitting down slowly and resting your chin in the palm of your hand as your stomach fills with uncontrollable butterflies.

“I leave ya’ for a few minutes and find ya’ makin’ heart eyes?” Drinna’s voice startles you as you jump in your chair, lifting your head from your hand and turning to see her extending a cup of lemonade in your direction. You apologize and take the cup, drawing a sip of the cool beverage and thanking the Maker for the relief it brings you from the summer’s warmth. “Who is it? I wanna see!”

You look into the crowd again to see if you can find Din. When you spot him, you almost point him out to Drinna, but you pause with a faltering smile as you watch him offer a smaller flower to another girl before he kisses her forehead. “Oh, uh… no one,” you assure her, sipping your lemonade once again to hide your frown. “Just a nice customer.”

Drinna looks at you suspiciously as she sips her own drink. “Mmkay, if ya’ insist.” You can see her eyeing the wosac on your table before she turns to an approaching customer, leaving you to suffer in peace as you curse yourself for ever trusting a beautiful stranger.

Still, throughout the rest of the day in the marketplace, you can’t get those brown eyes out of your mind. It worsens every time you look down at your tabletop and see the beautiful hues of the wosac. It’s almost as if the flower’s mocking you, reminding you of how cruel this summer really will be leading up to the event you’ve been dreading for so many years, now. You somehow manage to get through the rest of your day, though, even getting Drinna to leave without concern as you finish packing up the stall yourself.

You’re halfway through loading up the hovercart when you hear a familiar voice that makes you want to either smile or disappear from sight, especially from the genuine concern that’s laced in its tone. “Would you like some help with all of that?”

You turn to see Din standing there, smiling just as kindly as before. He gestures to some of the boxes you’ve already loaded up on the tabletop, and though the image of what you saw before sticks in your mind, you nod and return his smile. “That’d be really great.” As Din starts to help with lifting the boxes and placing them on the cart, you can’t help questioning him. “Are you sure she won’t mind?”

Din stops with a box in his hands, raising an eyebrow as he looks at you. “Who?”

You let out a curt chuckle and shake your head, refusing to look at him as you pick up a box from the table. “The girl you were with earlier.” After you place the box on the cart, you glance at him, still seeing his confusion. “I don’t mean to sound intrusive, I just—I saw you with her after you left my stall today.”

It’s then that it clicks for Din and you can see the light of realization in his eyes as he shakes his head. “No, no, that wasn’t what it probably looked like.” He even laughs as he finally sets his box down onto the cart. “That’s my _vod’ika_.” You don’t respond, instead tilting your head in puzzlement at the foreign word. Din instantly seeks to clarify. “That’s Mando’a for ‘little sister.’”

A wave of embarrassment runs through you as your lips part in an “o” of understanding. “Oh, Maker, I’m so sorry!” Din shakes his head at you as if he’s discouraging you from worrying about it, instead picking up the last box from the table and setting it on the cart. “You’re a Mandalorian?”

Din nods. “I am.” Before you have a chance to reach for the handle of the hovercart, Din does it for you, causing you to thank him quietly as you start to lead the way back to your family store. “I… well, I was a foundling.”

You look over at him curiously. “A foundling?”

“An adopted child, really. The Mandalorians took me in when I was younger.” Din doesn’t provide any more background on that and you don’t pressure him to. “My _vod’ika_ isn’t my sister by blood, but she’s my mentor’s biological daughter. That’s why she’s only a couple of years younger than me.” Din pauses, glancing over at you every once in a while as you continue to direct him. “But Mandalorians don’t care very much about relations by blood. As long as you follow the Way, you’re bound together.”

“The Way?”

“The Way of the Mandalore.” Din gives this information to you with enthusiasm. It’s enough to make you smile as you keep walking along. “That’s the Creed we swear ourselves to when we’re of age. I’ll be swearing it at the end of the summer. Once that happens, I get my beskar helmet.”

You raise your brow and glance at him. “Why can’t you just wear it now?”

“Because.” Din stops pushing the hovercart once you stop walking, halting at the front of the store. “Once you put it on, you can’t take it off again.”

You widen your eyes, incredibly curious now as you take a step closer to him. The proximity makes you notice that he smells of sweet cinnamon and bergamot, making you want to get even closer as you instead hold your ground. “ _Never?_ But, how would you eat? Or drink? Or bathe? Or—?”

Din laughs out your name and places a hand on your shoulder. “You can’t take it off in front of _others_.”

You laugh with him as you nod. “Oh, okay, that makes more sense.” Still, you cross your arms as you observe his face. It’s so expressive, kind, and _beautiful_ that you can’t imagine no one ever getting to see it again. To you, it’s a shame. “Why is that?”

Din can’t meet your eyes when he answers. “This is the Way.”

You assume that’s the best you’ll get out of him, so you just smile and reach for the keys on your belt. Your parents have already closed up the store for the night, as the sun’s been setting in the Scespa sky for quite a while now, and so it’s your job to put your stock away. “Well, Din, I have to thank you _again_ for your help—and your company.”

Din looks past you at the store with concern, though he doesn’t speak on it just yet. “No worries.” You can feel his gaze on you as you unlock the door with your code cylinder, letting it slide open as you reach for the handle of the hovercart. Before you can push it inside, Din speaks again, stopping you for a moment as you look at his nervous expression. “You don’t… live here, do you?”

“No,” you assure him with a chuckle. “My family has a cottage on the outskirts of town.”

Din’s eyes widen a bit at that. “That’s quite a ways away from here.”

You shrug nonchalantly. “It’s only ten minutes, if I walk fast.”

Din hesitates, holding a breath in his chest that you can see quite plainly. You wait patiently for him to speak. “I’m sure you can handle yourself, but… do you mind if I can escort you home? If not for your safety, then for my peace of mind?”

Your stomach fills with butterflies at his concern. Immediately, you nod to agree. “Sure, Din.” He smiles and also nods, and even waits respectfully outside the door as you make your way inside. You stop with the hovercart and turn, facing him with a raise of your brow. “You can come in.”

Din complies only with your invitation, making his way inside and looking around curiously as you get the lights to turn on. You can hear him exploring as you head to the back, leaving the cart where it is and figuring that you can replenish what needs to be stocked tomorrow. When you emerge from around the counter, you can see Din looking closely at a jar of ramitrol. You join him at his side, nearly making him jump as he holds tight to the jar in fear of dropping it.

“Ramitrol,” you announce, pointing at the jar full of a bright red substance. “You know what it’s made from?” Din looks over at you with a curious brow raised, offering that as his cue for you to continue. “Wosac flowers.”

“Really?” Din looks amazed as he glances at the jar again. “I had no idea. I just… this says that it can heal blaster wounds without scarring. That’s incredible.”

“Yeah. Wosac flowers are usually so beautiful that no one wants to try grinding them up to make the ramitrol—which is why it’s not widely used.” You watch Din carefully place the jar back where it came from. “Plus, wosacs are usually pretty rare outside of our system.”

Din remains silent as you lead the way out of the store, closing the door and locking it behind you before you make your way towards your cottage. That’s when he finally speaks. “You know a lot about all that.”

You shrug. “The business has been in my family for generations.”

Din easily picks up on your change of tone. “You… don’t sound as excited as you did before.”

You sigh, letting out a scoff as you shake your head. “I’m not really into the _business_.” You glance over at Din as you walk. “I’m much more into the medicines themselves—or, I guess, the art of the medicines.” Your fingers play with each other anxiously at the mere thought of what’s to come. “The business is what’s sending me to the Brelle system at the end of the summer. I’m supposed to open up another store there.”

“I’m guessing that’s not what you want to do.” There’s clear understanding in Din’s tone as he listens to you, making you feel heard for the first time ever as you nod at him.

“I want to make my knowledge of this more useful.” You stay on the path towards home, but also let your gaze look up towards the night sky, the stars just starting to peek out behind the streaks of red, orange, and pink light. “I want to help people in need, people who are fighting for something that’s right.” You look at Din to see his gaze full of admiration at your words. “Something like the Rebellion.”

“Don’t say that too loud,” Din warns, looking around to see that you’re very much alone on your way out of town. “Though I really admire that.” You thank him quietly, letting peaceful silence fall between the two of you as all that can be heard is the gravel of the road crunching beneath your feet. Then, Din speaks up again. “I’m… not sure what I’ll do with my training, yet.”

You look at him curiously. “Training?”

Din nods. “Yeah. I’m training in the Fighting Corps.”

“Ah.” You smile with amusement. “So, maybe I should be worried about the stranger who’s walking me home.”

Din chuckles and shakes his head—and you can see the genuine concern his brown eyes hold as he looks at you. “No, don’t worry. I’d never do such a thing.”

“I know. I can tell.” You kick a small rock and let it skip across the road. “You don’t give me any reasons to worry.”

Din smiles to himself at that, though you can see the gesture out of the corner of your eye. “Good.”

The rest of your walk is balanced between peaceful silence and discussion of the Scespa summers, mostly about how unnecessarily warm they can get—though they’re still beautiful. Before you know it, your family’s cottage comes up in the distance, causing you to release a breath as you stop and turn to face Din. “We should stop here before my parents see. Not that it’s a problem, but… they’re pretty nosy.”

Din nods at you. “I understand.”

You smile and look down for a moment, suddenly feeling shy before you look back up at him again. “I hope your home’s not too far from here.”

“It’s… not far at all. Don’t worry.”

“All right.” You cross your arms. “Will I see you in town again, or was today just my lucky day?”

Din shrugs. “I’m not usually in town, but I’m… starting to think I might be frequenting it more.”

You smile wider at that. “So I can rely on seeing you again soon?”

Din returns your smile. “Sure.” He then nods, almost bowing with the gesture, and starts to step away. “Goodnight.”

Before he can leave, you step closer to him. “Wait, Din!” He stops, looking at you with slight concern. You quickly press a chaste kiss to his cheek, nearly able to feel the burning of his cheek beneath your lips as you stand back where you were before. “Thank you, for everything.”

Din nods, smiling just as widely as you do before he begins to walk away. As you close the full distance to the cottage, you look back over your shoulder, realizing that Din’s stopped to make sure you’ve gotten into your home all right. You shake your head and try to bite back your smile, still seeing the image of his brown eyes in your mind even as you turn away to face the door.

You somehow know that Din will stay true to his word—and that today was just the first in a long summer that you wish could last forever.


	3. Mending Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you finally get to see Din again, you get to know him better—and you get to witness his strength firsthand, but not just physically.

For the next few days, there’s no sign of Din. You don’t lose hope, trusting that he’ll stick to his word. Instead, you find yourself daydreaming of him often. You keep ramitrol on the table, regardless of the fact that it never sells. It reminds you of the wonder you saw in those brown eyes when you told him what wosac flowers were capable of.

He looked at you like no one ever has.

Getting lost in your daydreams has gotten you in some trouble, though. You know you should be focusing more on your work but you can’t help it. Drinna’s been on your case more than usual, somehow noticing every single time your mind wanders to Din.

“Are you with us, honey?” Drinna often calls for you, making your face burn whenever you meet her amused gaze. “Do ya’ need _another_ cup of lemonade?”

In true Drinna style, she also gets _nosy._

“Is it the ‘nice customer’ from before?” Drinna questions, widening her eyes as the movements of her fan intensify with her curiosity. “Ya’ said it wasn’t a big deal—but here ya’ are, losing your sweet lil’ mind over them! Can I at least get a hint? What do they look like?”

You never try to engage, but you do comply with at least one notable detail. “They’ve got brown eyes,” you tell her. “The most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”

Drinna never fails to respond with a dramatic “ _Awww_ ,” always making your face burn hotter—even under the already unbearable Scespa sun. A small part of you secretly hopes that Din won’t come around, for fear of Drinna finding out and teasing you nonstop about it.

A very, _very_ small part of you.

The day he turns up, you freeze right where you are for a moment. The customer standing across from you is none too happy about that, frowning as your hand hovers idly above a jar of doctoset as you and Din exchange a smile across the marketplace. You’re content to stay just like this, but the customer snaps you halfway back to reality.

“Excuse me!” they exclaim, causing you to blink a few times as you resume your actions. “I haven’t got all day.”

“My apologies,” you murmur, still smiling a bit to yourself. If you weren’t so wrapped up in Din’s presence, you would’ve had half a mind to tell the customer off, but the trance Din puts you in is hard to break. You finish wrapping up the jar before exchanging it with their credits, offering a genuine smile as you complete the transaction. “Have a good day!”

The customer scoffs lightly, walking away with discontent. You couldn’t care less, especially when Din’s the next one to step up to your stall. Today, he’s wearing a shirt with shorter sleeves, proving more about his training than he was able to before as you helplessly find yourself staring.

“Din,” you finally say, still smiling as your gaze meets his again. The way the Scespa sun brings out the flecks of light in his brown eyes nearly takes your breath away, especially as they sparkle with the same amount of joy you feel. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“You too.” The hand he holds out to you silently asks permission for your own, making you bite your lip when he lifts it to press a kiss upon your knuckles. “I’m sorry it’s been so long.”

“It’s only been a few days,” you reassure him, waving your hand nonchalantly. “It’s all right.”

“I don’t know,” Din remarks, lifting an eyebrow as he leans his hands upon your stall. You swallow hard when you notice some of the muscles in his arms responding to the movement. “After meeting you… a day feels like a _lifetime_ to me.”

You shake your head with a giddy smile, even giggling a few times as you raise your brow right back at him. “Have you really been doing your Mandalorian training, or have you been trying to strengthen your flirting instead?”

Din laughs softly at that, also shaking his head as he looks away for a moment. When you go to study him again, you frown at the sight of an angry red mark on the upper part of his left arm, looking as if it’s never been properly treated. Din meets your gaze again and, upon noticing your concern, becomes worried himself. “Is something wrong?”

“Your arm.” You gesture to the wound.

“Oh, that’s—it’s all right.” Din even covers it with his right hand, nearly looking embarrassed. “It’s from sparring.”

“What caused the wound?”

Din releases a soft breath, letting his hand fall from his arm and land upon your stall again. “A vibroblade.”

Your brow furrows in concern. “Vibroblade?” You narrow your eyes, starting to look at the boxes on your hovercart as you think about what you’ve brought with you today. “I might have just the thing for that.” You look back at Din, standing from your seat and gesturing towards it. “Come, sit.”

Din shakes his head. “You don’t have to—.”

You smile reassuringly at him. “I don’t mind, Din. Please.”

With a smile of his own, Din nods, giving in as he walks around the stall and sits. Meanwhile, you sort through one of the boxes, the one you always bring though you know no one will ever pluck from it. Once you find the pale yellow substance, you smile in victory, returning to Din’s side as you kneel next to his arm.

“Is it okay if I…?” You trail off, gesturing to his sleeve.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s—fine.” Din watches closely as you gently roll up the sleeve until it’s resting on the top of his shoulder, giving you more access to the wounded area.

“When did this happen?” You study the wound, thankful that it doesn’t go too deep into the flesh.

“Yesterday.” You can feel Din’s gaze burning through you as you turn to grab the jar you’ve brought over. “What’s that?”

You let him study the jar full of the yellow substance, smiling at the sheer curiosity and wonder in his eyes. “Vibracotrol—named especially for its effectiveness on the harsh bite of vibroblades.” You open the jar, gathering some of the vibracotrol in your fingers and reaching for the wound. Your hand hovers over the skin as you look up at him again. “Can I touch you?”

Din seems amazed for a moment by your consideration, nodding as you receive your sign to continue. Gently, you start to brush the vibracotrol over his wound, apologizing when he hisses a bit at the contact. Knowing that the initial stinging must be sharp, you seek to distract him.

“So, tell me about this sparring of yours.”

You continue to focus on your work while you also listen intently to Din’s words. “I had to face the strongest member of my training group. We’ve… got a _friendly_ rivalry, I guess you could say.”

You smile to yourself. “Friendly, huh? Does this _friendly_ rival of yours have a name?”

Din waits a beat. “Paz.” You hum in acknowledgement, gently blowing on the first layer of vibracotrol as you let it dry. You can see the goosebumps that rise on Din’s skin as a result. “He’s always been like an older brother to me.”

“I see.” You keep amusement in your tone even as you go on. “I didn’t think brothers would cut each other with vibroblades, though.”

Din shrugs, attempting to be gentle as he minds your work on his arm. “That’s the point of sparring. It’s your goal to not only come out on top, but to also come out unscathed.”

You raise your brow and look up at him, your fingers pausing where they are on the rim of the jar. “Did you accomplish at least one of those things yesterday?”

Din’s jaw tightens, eventually giving his head an embarrassed shake. “No. I… was distracted.”

“Distracted?” You can’t help biting back a smile as you start to work on the second layer of vibracotrol. “Well, then, I hope _I_ wasn’t to blame for this wound.”

For a long moment, Din remains silent. You nearly fear that you’ve offended him, causing you to look up at him. When you meet his gaze, all you see is ardent admiration, enough to make your face warm as you continue your work. “Not at all. It was a pleasant distraction.” The warmth of his voice rivals that of the Scespa sun that beats down on your back. “And well worth this wound.”

You grin at that, quickly glancing up at him as you finish up the second layer. “I guess I’m not alone in frequently getting distracted, then.”

“I guess not.” After you gently blow on the second layer, you meet Din’s gaze again, feeling your stomach erupt into butterflies as you both lose yourselves in the moment. Din only breaks it when his curiosity gets the best of him. “What’s this vibracotrol made from?”

You look back at the vibracotrol jar for the last time, gathering the substance in your fingers and returning to his arm. “The zudloo plant.” You don’t have to look up at Din to picture the knit in his brow as he hears the unfamiliar plant name. “It’s a leafy plant. Many think it’s just grass or overgrowth.” After you’ve applied the third layer, you place the lid back on the jar, meeting Din’s gaze as he studies yours with wonder. “What you have to look for is the yellow glaze on the leaves of the plant. If you catch the sunlight just right, you’ll be able to see it.”

Din looks down at his arm. “And what does it do?”

“Well, after three solid layers, it should hopefully fade in a few minutes.” Gently, you roll the sleeve of his shirt back down, though the layers of vibracotrol are still visible. You’re pleased to see that the wound’s already starting to fade. “It heals any kind of wound sustained from a knife, but—as is its namesake—it specializes in vibroblades.”

Din shakes his head in amazement, looking at you as if you’ve strung the Scespa sun up in the sky yourself. “That’s… incredible.” His brow wrinkles as he frowns. “Why don’t more people know about this?”

“Because.” You sigh, putting the vibracotrol away and standing up again. “No one’s out there teaching and telling them. Instead, they’re running shops in one system, soon to be two.”

“Nobody ever buys this kind of stuff?” Din points to the vibracotrol and the ramitrol you still have displayed on the stall. “Why?”

You grimace as you gesture to the array of jars set at the front of your stall. “Our clientele isn’t concerned with blaster and blade wounds. They want to look younger, live longer.” You lift a jar of doctoset, showing it to Din. “They’re not the kind to fight for their lives. They want to live as long as possible without working for it.”

Din looks almost sadly at the doctoset as you set it down, picking up the jar of bright red ramitrol and examining it with just as much wonder as he did the first time. “If our covert knew about this kind of medicine, we… could’ve saved lives.” You both share a glance of disappointment, grieving on behalf of a galaxy that doesn’t care as much as you do. Din shrugs as nonchalantly as he can manage while he sets the ramitrol down. “Maybe one day.”

You smile. “Maybe.” You watch as Din stands up from the chair, looking to his arm as his eyes nearly double in size. The wound on his arm has completely faded, aided by the layers of vibracotrol. “I wish I could be the one to do it.”

Din looks at you again, warmth and reassurance apparent in his gaze as you gladly lose yourself in it. “I’m sure you will.” He then clears his throat, looking down for a moment as if he’s suddenly nervous. You giggle and raise an eyebrow at him, patiently waiting for him to speak again. “I… well, I-I have to thank you somehow. For this.” Din gestures to his arm. “Do you, uh, do your parents happen to give you a break for second meal?”

You beam at him. “Yeah, they do.”

Din’s eyes sparkle even more at that. “Great.” He’s able to maintain eye contact, now, as he goes on. “Can I, maybe, treat you to some, then? Second meal, I mean? You know, food and stuff?”

You laugh softly at his unnecessary clarifications, nodding as his brown eyes brighten even more. “I’d love that, Din.” You gesture to your stall. “Just give me one minute to close up the stall.”

Din nods, immediately starting to mirror your movements at the stall. “Do you need any help?”

His chivalry never fails to make your stomach flutter. “No, it’s all right this time, Din. But thank you, really.”

Din nods once again, stepping away to let you rearrange some jars and put up a sign to let your customers know where you’ve gone. Before you completely step away, you turn to Drinna, the eye contact with her saying everything she doesn’t have to. You know she’s been studying this entire interaction and soaking it all in.

You’ll be in for it when you get back.

“Drinna, would you mind watching the stall for me?” you ask her, your gaze pleading for her to not say anything in front of Din. “Until we get back?”

“Sure, hon,” Drinna agrees, smiling widely as she leans back in her chair. “You two go ‘n’ have some fun. But not too much fun.”

You roll your eyes, your face warm as you shake your head. “We’ll be back soon.” You start to walk off before Drinna has the chance to say anything else, letting Din fall in step right beside you. “I’m sorry about Drinna,” you immediately apologize, though you glance up at Din to see nothing but warmth in his gaze and expression. “We’ve been stall neighbors in the summer for years now. She’s like another mother to me, I guess.”

“That’s… sweet,” Din assures you, smiling as he looks over at you. “She seems very nice.”

“Yeah,” you scoff jokingly, feeling Drinna’s stare burning through your back all the way until you walk too far out of her line of sight. “You have no idea.”

Din chuckles at that, though your conversation drifts to the various food items in the marketplace as you pick what you’ll have. You end up with a variety of meats, breads, and cheeses, wanting to stay simple as Din carries everything for you like the respectable young man he is. It makes your chest warm even more as he leads you just outside of the town, walking up a grassy hill that overlooks the rolling plains of Scespa. He helps you to sit before he does the same, distributing the food and beginning to make easy conversation.

“This is my favorite place to lay low,” Din tells you after a few minutes of small talk, gesturing to the view ahead of you. “Especially after an intense day.”

You look at him curiously. “Do you get the chance to do that often? I mean, with all your training.”

Din shrugs, suddenly taking a deep interest in the pieces of bread and cheese he has in his hand as he stays silent for a few moments. “Sometimes.” He takes a bite and looks back at the view. You patiently wait for him to add on after he swallows. “It’s not usually the training that’s too intense, though.”

Your brow furrows with concern as you look at him, watching the way his brown eyes start to cloud over with a haunted look that ties up a knot in your stomach. You try to think about what he’d said a few days ago, especially regarding his past. He hadn’t mentioned why the Mandalorians took him in—but you figure this must have something to do with it. Before you even have a chance to speak, Din shakes his head and clears the haunted look from his eyes.

“I’m sorry, I—I don’t know why I brought that up.” He manages to smile in a genuine manner, taking another bite of his food as you laugh at the dramatic way he does it. Still, you know your concern is showing, and Din starts to grimace a bit as he observes it. “I… overshared, didn’t I?”

“No, Din.” You shake your head in reassurance, setting your food upon a cloth as you face him seriously. “I _want_ to know more about you.” You look at the view and then back at him. “But I won’t pressure you into telling me more.”

Din’s gaze returns to the plains as he pauses for a moment. You observe him closely as the slight breeze on the hill tugs at some of his small curls, brushing it away from his face as the Scespa sun continues to kiss his skin. It’d be even more mesmerizing if you weren’t so worried for him. “I usually don’t tell anyone about these things.” Din looks at you again, his brown eyes soft despite how intense this subject must be for him. “But you… I don’t know, you make me feel safe.” He shakes his head at himself again and looks down at the pieces of food sitting in front of him. “I know it sounds ridiculous, since we only just met.”

“It’s not ridiculous.” Your voice is soft though your words are firm. It makes Din look up at you again. “You’re training to become a warrior, aren’t you?” Din nods at that. “And warriors are taught to trust their instincts.” He nods again. “So, you’re just doing what you’ve been taught: listening to your instincts. And I’m glad they trust me so easily.” Din starts to smile a bit at that. “If it makes you feel better, I feel the very same way.”

Din’s gaze holds your own, now, as if he’s looking into your very soul. You let him in, proving to him that you hold no malice—especially for him. “It’s just… I’ve spent many years on Scespa, and I’ve never connected with anyone like this before. Especially this quickly.” He shakes his head aimlessly. “Somehow, I… I feel like I’ve known you forever.” He furrows his brow with worry. “Does that make sense?”

You smile at him. “It makes perfect sense, Din. In fact, that’s exactly how I feel, too.” Din beams at that. You take it as your cue to go on. “So, if you want to go on and share more about yourself, you can. But you don’t have to.”

Din nods, looking down at his food again as he takes another bite. For a few moments, all you can hear is the rustling of some nearby trees in the breeze, though your gaze remains fixated on Din. After he swallows, he speaks. “It was the Clone Wars.” Din looks at the view and barely moves a muscle as he goes on. “Aq Vetina was attacked by the Separatists— _droids_. We didn’t know what to do, my parents weren’t trained in fighting. They tried to get me to safety by hiding me in a bunker.” Din’s gaze falls to the ground for a moment. Your heart already aches for him. “They died protecting me.”

You wait a few beats before daring to speak. “Din, I’m so sorry.” Your voice is barely above a whisper as you speak meaningfully. Din just nods, glancing at you quickly before he takes another bite of food. Once he’s finished that, he goes on.

“That’s when the Mandalorians came. One of them helped me out of the bunker and brought me to safety.” Din gestures with his head towards the town behind you. “I’ve been with them ever since.” Before you get a chance to comfort him further, Din’s already looking at the positives. “But I’ve really enjoyed being a Mandalorian. I feel like I’m meant to be here, with them—despite the circumstances. Everything happens for a reason, you know.”

Slowly, you reach a hand out towards him, an open invitation for him to find some source of external comfort. Din obliges by gently setting his hand upon yours, letting your fingers close around it. “That doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt, though.” Finally, Din looks at you again, his gaze conflicted as he struggles between his trauma and his gratitude. “You’ve been very strong to endure all that, Din.” You smile at him. “You say you’re training to become a warrior, but… I think you already have the strength of one.”

Din’s gaze searches yours, the amazement that shines in it making your heart flutter as he gently gives your hand a squeeze. “That’s… very kind of you.” The words come low from his throat, as if he’s just barely managed to speak them. “Thank you.” He gives your hand one last squeeze before he regretfully lets go of it, instead focusing on his last bites of food. You follow his lead, smiling as the weight appears to fall right off his shoulders with the way his tensed body relaxes.

“You know,” you say, beginning a different conversation that catches Din’s attention. “I’ve never learned how to fight.”

Din raises an eyebrow at you. “Really?” You nod to confirm his words. “Not even self defense?”

You shake your head. “No. But I’ve always wanted to.” You shrug, finishing off your share of food before you finish. “You know, just in case I _do_ end up fighting for something like the Rebellion one day.”

You can feel Din’s gaze burning through you even as you fold up your cloth and tidy the area around you, looking back up to meet his sparkling brown eyes. “Well… would you want to learn?” Din gestures to himself. “I mean, I– _I_ can teach you. If you want. Just a bit.”

Yet again, his shyness makes you giggle as you smile at him. “I don’t know,” you start to tease. “Will I end up with a vibroblade cut on my arm?”

Din chuckles and lifts his brow. “Only if you get distracted.”

You shake your head, trying to keep the heat from your cheeks as you both work to clean up the rest of your food. “I’ll try my best.” You start to stand, looking at Din longingly. “Sadly, I think my break’s over soon.”

Din frowns, following as you make your way back down the hill. “Do you… at least get paid for all this?”

You scoff. “Not yet.” You look over at Din and don’t miss the flash of anger in his gaze—not towards you, but towards your parents. “But apparently I will on Brelle.”

Din sets his jaw, staring ahead as he appears to keep his temper cool. “Ah.” That’s all he has to offer for now, his protectiveness over you already making your chest warm as you smile a bit to yourself.

“It’s okay,” you try to assure him. “I don’t have to pay for much around here—except food.”

“Well, I can cover that.” Din’s quick with his words as he looks over at you. “If… that’s okay.” You furrow your brow, asking for more clarity as Din rushes to explain. “I’d—well, I’d really like to keep having second meal with you. If, you know, you want to. If you want some alone time, too, that’s—.”

“ _Din_.” You cut him off with a gentle laugh. “That sounds great.”

Din’s gaze brightens as he nods. “All right.”

The rest of your short walk to your stall is spent in comfortable silence, aside from the sounds of the bustling marketplace. You release a deep sigh when you get back, regretfully taking the sign away as you return to your post. Din’s still standing near you, making you smile as you face him. “Well, thank you so much for today, Din. I’ll be looking forward to tomorrow.”

“So will I.” Din nods as he returns your smile, the sight of it making your stomach flutter. “We’ll talk about…” he pauses, looking over at Drinna who’s very obviously eavesdropping, “other things later.”

Knowing that he’s referring to training, you nod, starting to step completely behind the stall. “Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

“Wait,” Din pleads, taking your arm in his hand gently. You look at him with slight concern, only to nearly melt to the ground when he leans forward to press a soft kiss to your forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You’re completely awestruck as you just nod, eyes wide and full of affection as Din regretfully steps away. You sit down slowly as you watch him go, resting your chin in the palm of your hand as you nearly start to lose yourself in your daydreams again.

“ _Tomorrow_ , huh?” Drinna’s voice snaps you back to reality, causing you to sit up and look over at her. She sips from a cup of lemonade with her brow raised, offering a sly smile once she puts her cup down. “You got some explainin’ to do, don’t ya’?”

You grumble dramatically, giving in with a smile as you start to recount some of the events of the afternoon. Still, you continue to dream of the days to come, hoping for the first time in a long time that the summer will never end.


	4. Racing Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din begins your training—something that gets more hands-on than expected.

Walking through town on a day off is _very_ different—in the best way. You’ve got the freedom of the entire weekend on your shoulders, time that won’t be spent dreading what’s to come at the end of the summer and how miserable you know you’ll be. You can stop at other people’s stalls if you want or even explore beyond the town, pushing into the gorgeous Scespa sights that surround it.

And, best of all, you get to have Din by your side.

He’s got the whole day off from training, so he’s volunteered to start teaching you some of the things he’s learned in his own training. You’ve had second meal together every day this week, earning the chance to get to know each other even more. The day after Din had offered you the story of his past, you thought it was fair to do the same, realizing that—although you still had your parents—you were both disconnected from them in some way. That shared pain has only brought you closer together. Now, almost every moment is spent thinking of _him_.

This has caused many interesting conversations with Drinna.

“Backstory on the _first date?_ ” Drinna had commented that first day with disbelief, widening her eyes at you as she handed a customer their order. “Oh, honey, he’s got it bad for you, don’t he?”

“It wasn’t a—he’s not—!” But you couldn’t find a way to argue with what she’d said. “Whatever, Drinna. You’re just fantasizing.”

Drinna had raised her brow at you in a way that spelled trouble. “Based on the way you’ve got that sweet smile stuck on your face, darlin’, I don’t think _I’m_ the one that’s fantasizin’.”

You had half a mind to lean over and slap her for making such a bold and true statement.

“Your parents gotta’ know about him by now, right?” Drinna had asked another day, making you freeze up as you restocked your stall.

“They, uh… why would they?” You’d attempted to shrug it off, resuming your actions stiffly.

“Well, at least your momma’s gotta’ know when a boy comes into your life!” Drinna had thrown her hands in the air with her statement, putting them on her hips in a motherly manner.

You’d offered her a genuine smile when you responded. “ _You’re_ the mother who knows about him, Drinna.”

She’d cooed with sad delight and given you the sweetest of hugs that day. It was almost enough to heal the deep wounds festering within your heart at the distance between yourself and your “business partners.” But, in true Drinna style, she hadn’t urged you to mend that relationship. Instead, she began to step into the role gracefully.

“So, tomorrow, huh?” Drinna had asked you yesterday while you were packing up the stall. Evidently, someone had been eavesdropping when Din escorted you after second meal.

“Yeah,” you’d responded, smiling stupidly as you thought about the light in Din’s eyes when you’d both realized you could have almost a full day together. “Is it okay if I tell my parents you and I are having a spa day or something?”

Drinna had waved her hand with one of her signature and comforting smiles. “You do whatever you gotta’ do to be with your man, honey—only if you give me some of the details after the weekend!”

“Of course, Drinna! Who else would get to hear all about it?”

Drinna had laughed and winked at you in a way that made you feel safe for the first time in a long time about being vulnerable. While opening up to Din had been easy, you know that’s a rare occurrence to him—which is all the more reason why you suspect you might be growing closer to him than you even know.

These thoughts are present only in the back of your mind as you walk alongside Din, as happy as ever to even be in his presence. Your arms brush against each other as you go, heading to the outskirts of town with Din leading the way. You’re lost in your usual easy going conversation, aware of every point of contact you have with each other as you go.

“A bruise, huh?” you echo what Din’s just said as he tells a story about his latest sparring session. “Proper payback for the vibroblade cut, I assume?”

“The best I can get with Paz,” Din responds, chuckling a bit as he shrugs. “He’s… well, he’s tough to beat.”

You look over at him, smiling slyly to yourself as you prepare to tease him. “Maybe I should be getting my training from him, then.”

Din returns your look at once, narrowing his eyes when you laugh softly. He nudges your shoulder while he attempts to bite back a smile. “That’s not funny.” Yet he chuckles as he says these words, convincing you that he’s just as amused as you are.

“Don’t worry,” you assure him, this time nudging your shoulder against him as you smile wider. “ _He_ doesn’t take me to get second meal with him every day.”

“Or give you wosac flowers,” Din adds, suddenly reaching into one of his pockets and pulling out one of the bright red flowers he’s just spoken of.

You beam at him as you shake your head, accepting the flower with delicacy as you hold it with both hands. “A wosac flower on our training day.” You raise an eyebrow at Din. “Plan on giving me a blaster wound or something?”

Din laughs and shakes his head. “I could never.” He looks straight ahead, watching as the two of you start to leave the town behind. “Let’s save the ramitrol for another session.”

You scoff dramatically, staying close as Din takes you to the place where you normally share your meals. Instead of stopping, he continues into the nearby wood, making you furrow your brow as you look at him again. “Where are we going?”

“There’s a clearing up ahead.” Din points it out to you, and even from a considerable distance, you can see a circular clearing in the trees. “This way, people won’t just… see us mock-fighting. It could get concerning.”

You nod to agree with a giggle, the thought of a worried townsperson running up the hill to stop you amusing you. “Good thinking. Plus, people won’t have to see me make a fool of myself.”

Din clicks his tongue at you. “Don’t say that.” He leads you into the clearing after he’s pushed aside some of the undergrowth for you. “You never know until you try.” Din takes you to the center, encouraging you to stretch your arms and legs out a bit before he goes on. “You can probably tell I don’t have any weapons today.”

“Thank the Maker,” you remark, making him chuckle. “I need to know how to use my fist before I even think about a blaster.”

“Your fist can really be your best weapon.” Din shows one of his to you, and upon further observation, you realize he’s got a plethora of little cuts and scars on the skin of each knuckle. “But it can also be difficult, so I don’t recommend using it often.”

You look from his knuckles to his brown eyes, nearly forgetting what you’re about to ask as you become captivated by the way they glow in the sunlight. “May I…?” You trail off, your fingers hovering over the skin on his knuckles. Din nods, watching intently as your fingers feel the cuts and scars. You frown. “Do they hurt?”

Din shrugs. You don’t miss the gentle pink tint of his cheeks. “Not anymore. I guess they… make me look tough. Maybe.”

You smile playfully at him. “ _Maybe_.”

Din huffs and steps beside you, nodding at you before he begins. “Do you know how to throw a punch?”

“I think I could if I had to.”

“I like your confidence.” Din then puts himself into an attack position, standing with his feet apart—his left foot forward and his right foot back—and his fists held close to him. “You always want to try to position yourself like this. That way, when you throw the punch—,” Din pauses to throw his right arm forward into a punch, twisting his body and leaning forward as you can feel a burst of air at the speed and power of the movement, “—you can put all your power into it.”

You nod at Din, trying to mimic his attack position as you look to him for approval. He nods, slowly swiveling his body to show you how the movement should go. You mirror his movements as best as you can, watching him let down his guard and walk closer to your side.

“Close,” Din finally says, pointing to your waist as he raises an eyebrow. “May I?” He echoes the request you made earlier. You nod, trying to ignore the butterflies that begin to flurry within your stomach the moment his hands touch your clothed waist. He twists it more to your left as he encourages you to stretch your right arm out, also gently fixing that as he tilts your fist to the left. “When you twist like this,” Din explains, “you can transfer the power from your legs to your arms more effectively. Having your fist positioned like this makes your first two knuckles hit first, which is the most powerful part of the blow.”

You nod at him once again to assure him that you’re understanding what he’s saying. Din returns the gesture, pointing at your back leg before he continues.

“When you twist, you’ll want to keep this back foot up and lean _forward_.” Din walks to stand in front of you, taking your fist and encouraging you to lean closer to him. You smile a bit, causing Din to do the same. The combination of his sweet smile along with his touch is enough to make you forget exactly what you’re doing for a moment. “That’ll pack your punch with a lot of weight so your fist doesn’t have to do so much of the work.”

“That would be nice,” you say with a chuckle. “I don’t think my fists are built for this kind of stuff.”

“Like I said before.” Din gives you an encouraging look, holding out his open palm to you and encouraging you to punch it. “You never know until you try.”

You furrow your brow, holding your fist close to you again as you look at him. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t. Promise.” Din nods at you. “Go ahead.”

With a deep breath, you throw your first attempt, instantly looking at Din for approval. He offers a smile of encouragement.

“Good.” You start to smile at the praise. “But we can do even better. Try it again.”

You continue with this for a while, eventually switching hands and varying the types of punches. Din explains how, with time, you’ll be able to practice certain punching sequences, also learning how to duck and dodge other blows. For now, you stick with the basics, feeling as immersed as ever in your training—even if Din’s presence tries to distract you.

Din lets you take a much-needed break, not wanting to overwork you. He even leads you to a nearby spring, letting you get a few sips of the clean water and doing the same himself. When you’re ready to resume, Din gets you started with kicks, something that’s surprisingly harder than it looks. Still, thanks to his effective and patient teaching, you start to get the hang of it, even starting to run similar drills that you did with the punches.

You’re in the middle of practicing the front kicks when something goes wrong. As you’re pulling your leg back from Din, your foot gets caught in the material of his shirt, causing you both to trip towards each other. Din gets a hold on your arms and transfers his weight back to try to catch you, but instead, the momentum makes you take Din to the ground. He falls on his back as you land on top of him, immediately bursting into laughter as he does the same.

“Sorry!” you apologize sincerely through your laughs, beginning to prop yourself up with a hand on his chest.

“It’s all right,” Din assures you, still chuckling as you start to face him. “You—…”

Din trails off when you both realize how close you’ve become. Your faces are just inches from each other thanks to this positioning, his soft breaths fanning over your face as your own do the same to him. You’ve lost your entire grip on reality as you solely stare into his sparkling brown eyes, seeing the same feelings of adoration, admiration, and affection reflected back at you. Din even lifts a careful hand to brush over your ear, silently encouraging you to come closer as your noses gently brush against each other. Your heart’s beating even more quickly than it was during your drills and you can feel Din’s doing the same underneath your hand. Your eyelids start to flutter close as your lips hover over his, neither of you making the final move to close the distance.

But then, as if you both snap back to reality at the same time, your eyes open wide as you face each other. Shyly, you start to sit up more, letting Din’s hand fall back to his side as he clears his throat. You stand and offer a hand to help him up, avoiding his gaze for a few moments as you wait for him to speak. “Let’s… run a few more drills,” Din suggests, causing you to look at him again as you nod.

For the rest of the session, though, you can tell that both his mind and your own are not focused on the quality of the kicks you’re throwing. You can’t stop thinking about the way your heart was racing in time with Din’s, making you feel more alive than you have in a long time. Your mouths never touched, though you feel as if the spark remains, threatening to burn you alive just by standing in his presence. You can’t stop thinking about it, about _him_ , and you can tell that Din’s fully noticed your distracted state. You can read his own just as clearly.

“Ready to call it a day?” Din asks. You nod at him with a small smile, letting him lead the way out of the surrounding wood. There’s tense silence between you, though it’s not a bad tension. It’s solely because you both know what you’re thinking about and you can’t stop thinking about it. You’re helplessly stuck in that moment, cursing yourself for not making the most of it.

By the time you exit the woods, you can see the Scespa sun just starting to make its descent in the sky. You hadn’t gotten the chance to meet with Din until the afternoon as it was, thanks to the chores you had to complete in the morning. The idea of the sun setting on this day makes you feel even more upset that you hadn’t taken advantage of your earlier opportunity, though you try to let it go as you look over at Din. “Thanks for all the training, Din,” you say, keeping your tone genuine as you smile at him.

Din returns your look, offering his arm for you to loop your own through it. “It’s… no problem, really.” He eases the two of you down the hill, walking back into town. The streets have become much more quiet with the passing of the afternoon, bringing a peaceful silence as you continue to speak to Din. “You’re a quick learner.”

Your cheeks warm up as you shake your head. “You’re just saying that.”

Din raises an eyebrow at you. “No. I mean it.” He starts to smile just a bit as he looks ahead again. “If I didn’t mean it, I wouldn’t have said it.”

“So, you only say something if you mean it?”

Din nods, letting you draw close to his side as he keeps walking you home. “It’s much more practical than lying.”

“I agree.” You smile to yourself, proposing a challenge as you look over at him. “That means you’ll only be honest in response to anything I say?”

Din’s brow furrows in playful worry as he steals a glance over at you. “Well, when you phrase it like that, it… scares me a little.”

You laugh softly, shaking your head. “It’s not that bad. I promise.”

“Yeah?” Din chuckles with you. “All right, then. Go ahead.”

You chew the inner part of your cheek for a moment, trying to find the best way to frame your words as you get closer and closer to your home. If you don’t talk soon, you’ll run out of time—and waste another opportunity. With a deep breath, you let it out. “Do you… like me?”

Din’s eyes widen in slight disbelief as he looks over at you. “Of course I do.” There’s no hesitation with his response, but you know he’s not thinking as deeply as you are.

“Not just like _that_ , Din.” You sigh, twisting your lips as you watch the Scespa sky turn a beautiful shade of pink. You let it bring peace to you. “I mean, more than that. Even enough to… I don’t know…”

“Kiss you?” Din finishes your thought for you, causing your heart to stall in your chest as you look over at him. He’s already looking at you, his gaze relaxed and as filled with admiration as ever. His brow furrows as he searches your gaze, despite the fact you’re still walking ahead to where your home now looms in the distance. You nod, unable to speak past the lump in your throat as Din encourages you to come even closer to his side. The movement comforts you almost as much of the sweetness of his tone when he continues. “Is… that what you would’ve wanted before?”

You feel shy now as you nod once, looking down at your feet as you walk ahead. For some irrational reason, you’re afraid he doesn’t feel the same way. “It’s okay if you didn’t, though.” The words come out before you can stop them.

“No, I— _no_.” Din’s words are firm, giving you the bravery to look up at him again. “I just… I didn’t think that’s what _you_ wanted.”

You can’t help chuckling a bit at that, shaking your head. “I guess a little communication would’ve gone a long way, huh?”

Din shrugs, stopping as you reach the place where he always drops you off. “Well, at least we said something now.” He pauses, taking his arm from you only to let his hand brush over your ear just like before. “Can I make it up to you?” His voice is soft, as gentle as the gaze he holds with your own as he steps closer to you.

You don’t dare to look away from his eyes, those sweet _brown_ eyes, the same ones that had captivated you the day you met him. With a small nod, you answer his question, gently pressing your hands upon his chest as his hand that’s not on your head holds your waist. The touch causes a breath to catch in your throat, your heart pounding even more than it had before as Din looks at you as if you’re the only person in the galaxy. Just like before, you can feel his own heart drumming beneath your palm, only making you smile as he slowly brings his face closer to your own.

Then, with the softest of movements, his lips meet yours—and immediately, everything changes.

It’s almost as if the entire galaxy around you has disappeared. There’s no better way to describe it. While this first kiss is gentle, shy even, it creates a spark in you that could light up the darkest places, making your heart leap so much you think it might just break right out of your chest. 

You’re only just beginning to process it when Din pulls away, but stays close as his eyes flutter open. You share an affectionate gaze, though you can tell he’s searching your eyes to make sure this is really what you want. When you both smile at each other, your feelings are understood, and Din isn’t as shy about pulling you in for another kiss.

Din’s hand has urged your waist completely against him, the other stroking the side of your head in a manner so soft that you nearly sigh into his mouth. Meanwhile, one of your hands has slid up from his chest and into the hair at the nape of his neck, threading through the soft waves as you keep him as close as possible. Your souls that had started to bind together through words are now doing the same through actions, tying you so close together that you fear ever having to separate from him. But separation is the last thing on your mind as you absorb this feeling, _him_ , breathing in his air before you’re forced to pull away to provide some kind of oxygen to your lungs.

The two of you simply catch your breath for a few moments, with you giggling and Din chuckling once you’ve fallen into another lovestruck daze. “Did… that make it up to you?” Din asks, his voice low in an attempt to savor the moment.

You continue to smile adoringly as you nod, brushing your nose against his as you close your eyes to absorb the touch. “Yeah, I think it did.”

“You _think?_ ” Din teases.

He’s not allowed to finish thanks to a sound that comes from your home in the distance. Fearfully, you turn your head and press yourself closer to his chest, relaxing when you realize it’s just the wind chime on your porch. You smile sheepishly as you look at Din, who’s evidently concerned by your reaction. His protectiveness over you has only grown over the past week, especially hearing about your experiences at home. “I should probably go before they see us.”

Din nods, letting the hand that’s been on your head stroke down the side of your face. The butterflies flutter wildly within you as he furrows his brow with genuine care. “If you need _anything_ , you come and find me at the covert—or Drinna. All right?”

You nod, smiling at him gratefully. “Thank you, Din. You have no idea how much that means to me.”

Din returns your smile. “And you have no idea how much _you_ mean to me.” Your face warms as he gently takes your head between his hands, leaving a lingering kiss on your forehead. “Goodnight, _cyar’ika_.”

The name—new yet endearing—only makes you smile more as you look at him with pure adoration. “Goodnight, Din. Will I see you for second meal next week?”

Din nods. “I’ll do all I can to make is possible. Trust me.”

You return his nod. “I do.”

With that, Din smiles and reluctantly steps away from you, letting his gaze linger even as he turns around. Once he’s walking back towards town, you walk towards your home, your fingertips touching your lips as you smile uncontrollably to yourself. You’re certain you’ve never felt so happy in your life, nor so full of hope for the future.

If only the honeymoon phase would last forever, though, as you know most things don’t—but you won’t force yourself to think of the consequences just yet.


	5. Unexpected Turns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Din get another day to yourselves, though it doesn’t go anything like the way you expect it to.

Din stays true to his word and tries his best to see you during the week—but only gets three chances to.

It’s like torture, not getting to see him with every waking hour. His affection has consumed you, especially since you only get it in such small doses. Din takes you for second meal and escapes with you to your usual place, talking with you as if you’ve known him forever and looking at you as if you’re the only person in the galaxy. When he kisses you, he’s still rather shy but  _ so _ sweet, as if he’s trying to keep you from feeling overwhelmed.

That’s one thing you can’t understand: how much Din  _ cares _ . It never fails to blow your mind, which is what you end up saying to Drinna over and over again.

She shares your disbelief.

“He said to come find  _ me? _ ” Drinna had nearly squealed the day you told her about Din’s protective words before he dropped you off at home. She pressed her hands against her chest dramatically, as if she couldn’t handle the mere thought of it. “Oh, honey, he’s a keeper!”

You’d laughed and shrugged. “I agree.”

Drinna had beamed at you, unable to stop smiling as she leaned close enough to cover one of your hands with hers. “And he’s absolutely right. You need anythin’? You come find Drinna.” Her sweet smile had then changed into a smirk, already preparing you for something wild to come out of her mouth. “But I think you’d have a  _ lot  _ more fun with Din, wouldn’t you, honey?”

You’d rolled your eyes in an attempt to shake the embarrassment off your shoulders, understanding exactly what she was insinuating. You knew—and still know—that with Din’s protectiveness and care of you, it’ll be quite a while before things progress to such an intimate state between the two of you.

Before you know it, the next weekend approaches, which gives both you and Din an entire day of freedom to spend with each other. You manage to get out of the house before your parents even have a chance to ask where you’re going, taking the weight off your shoulders as you practically skip towards the place where you’ll be meeting Din. You’re so lost in your thoughts of him, relishing in the lighthearted joy of this honeymoon stage, that you don’t properly take in your surroundings—a sweet mistake.

Strong arms wrap around you when you least expect them to, causing you to gasp and then laugh when you realize exactly who it is. Din spins you around once just to hear you laugh more, setting you down gently and sealing his lips over yours. Your heart does somersaults in your chest as you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him even closer before Din pulls away. His smile is as sweet as ever.

“Hi,” you greet first, giggling thanks to the overwhelming feeling of affection within you.

“Hi,” Din repeats with a chuckle, smiling more when you brush your nose against his. The expression falters only for a moment when he seems to realize something. “Did I scare you? I thought you’d seen me.”

“Only for a second,” you assure him, your fingers playing with the ends of his hair as you keep your arms around his neck. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

Din clicks his tongue, his concern evident in his tone—though his gaze still glitters with admiration. “You have to be careful,  _ cyar’ika _ . What if I was a stranger?”

You shrug, still smiling at him as if you’re stuck in a daze. “Then you would’ve walked up, seen it happen, and put your training to work. Right?”

Din laughs at that, shaking his head as his smile fully returns. “Right.” He kisses your forehead, stepping away from you as he takes a hold on your hand. “Let’s get going before we spend the whole day standing here.”

You snort at that, your entire being consumed with warmth at the feeling of Din’s hand in your own. He takes you through the town as usual, though you’re unsure exactly what the two of you will be up to today. Din looks over at you a few times, as if he’s checking up on you. The gesture only makes you smile more—causing your cheeks to hurt at how much you’re using the muscles. “So,” you finally begin, looking over at Din to see him already looking fondly at you, “what are we up to today?”

Din’s gaze falls to your hands shyly as he starts to swing them between you. “Well, I was thinking of maybe taking you to a…  _ secret  _ spot of mine.”

You raise your brow, giving his hand a squeeze to encourage him to look at you again. “‘Secret,’ you say?” Din nods, making you smirk at him. “What exactly is included in these plans of yours, Din?”

“Nothing like  _ that _ ,” Din instantly remarks, causing you to laugh when his cheeks turn pink. “There’s a stream a little bit deeper in the woods where we trained last weekend. I go there sometimes after hard days of training.”

Your amusement fades as you look at him seriously. “That sounds absolutely lovely, Din.” You use your free hand as a visor to look up at the sky, where the Scespa sun is starting to scorch the entire town. “I have a feeling that’ll be very useful for today.”

Din huffs in agreement, drawing you just a bit closer as you continue your walk. You both remain in peaceful silence for most of the journey to Din’s secret spot, occasionally exchanging some words along the way. There’s no pressing need for conversation, though; you’re both more than content to just be in each other’s presence, knowing you have the full day ahead of you. You’re convinced there’s not a single thing that could ruin it.

As you start to walk through the woods, Din leads the way, constantly looking back at you even with your hand in his to make sure you’re still nearby. Any time there’s an obstacle in the way, Din stops his movements, giving your hand a squeeze as he warns you.

“Watch out for that rock,” he’ll say, not taking his eyes off you until you’ve successfully cleared it. It’s incredible to you, how someone who you’ve only known for a few weeks has made you feel more safe and cared for than anyone else in the galaxy. You get so lost in these thoughts that you never think beyond them to the painful inevitability that the summer won’t last forever. Instead, you live in each moment, smiling with each time Din stops to make sure you’re okay.

Din doesn’t have the chance to announce the spot before you’re already gaping with awe at the beauty of it. The stream Din had mentioned is right on the edge of a clearing, though it’s much smaller than the one where you and Din had done your training. Various colored flowers line the banks as a few smooth stones rest amongst the gently-rushing water. The whole scene screams serenity, making you feel even more content—something that should already be impossible, thanks to Din’s close presence.

“Do you… like it?” Din’s words are shy and soft, and when you finally tear your gaze away from the beautiful view to an even more breathtaking view of hopefulness in his brown eyes, you smile so wide you think your lips might just tear apart.

“Do I  _ like  _ it?” you scoff, bringing yourself even closer to his side as you look at the scene ahead of you again. “I  _ love  _ it.”

Din releases a breath as if he’s been holding it, giving your hand a squeeze. “Good.”

You look at him again, gesturing with your head towards the stream. “Let’s go test the water,” you urge. “Just with our feet.”

Din smiles and nods. “Sure.”

He now becomes the one to follow you, pausing on the bank of the stream as you both take off your shoes. When you sit beside each other on the bank, your feet submerged in the cool water of the stream, your arms brush against each other in a way that makes your entire body light up with sparks. You kick your foot in the water to splash it with your toe, releasing a deep breath as you start a new conversation. “What’s your mentor like, Din?”

You can feel Din’s gaze on you, though you keep staring down at your feet in the water. “My mentor?”

“Yeah.” You look at him reassuringly. “I remember you mentioning them when you first told me about your  _ vod’ika _ .” Din smiles wide at your use of Mando’a, though a new worry has crossed your mind. “But, if it’s too hard to talk about, I won’t—.”

“Hey, it’s all right,  _ cyar’ika _ .” Din reaches his hand over to take one of yours again, his gaze as warm as the Scespa sunlight that filters through the trees. “I don’t mind.” He looks where you had before, his brown eyes now fixed on your feet in the water as he goes on. “My mentor is… strong. Loyal.” Din pauses, shrugging. “He had a clan of his own when he rescued me, but he still took me in. He’s always tried to make me feel like family, and for the most part, it’s worked.” He looks at you again. “But, Mandalorians, they don’t… coddle. You know? They love,  _ fiercely _ , but it’s… they want to teach you with tough love, if that makes sense. Especially since I ended up being his oldest child.”

You nod in understanding, running your thumb over the back of his hand for comfort. It makes Din smile as he continues.

“My parents were different.” Din stops. You can hear the lump in his throat that he tries to push past, making you wince as you wrap your free hand around his arm.

“It’s okay,” you assure him quietly. “You don’t have to talk about them.”

Din shakes his head. “I can.” He clears his throat, leaning closer to you as he takes a deep breath and goes on. “My parents were… passionate. About everything. There’s nothing they couldn’t do when they set their minds to it.” Din’s smile—which had faded before—returns as he looks over at you. “I… like to think they were very much like Mandalorians themselves.”

You return his smile, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. “Sounds like it to me.” You rest the side of your head against his shoulder. “I wish I could’ve met them—but at least I can maybe still meet your Mandalorian clan one day.”

Din’s silent for a long moment, causing you to look back up at him for fear you’ve made him more upset. Instead, you see him gazing at you adoringly, making you beam as he smiles wider. “I’d like that.” He raises an eyebrow as he continues. “I… don’t think your parents would be very fond of me.”

You shrug. “They might be. If they’re not, it wouldn’t be your fault.” Your gaze falls to your feet again. “They just always told me to wait until I got to the Brelle system to find someone.”

Din releases a gentle breath. “You can’t put restraint on these kinds of things. They happen as they’re meant to.” He shrugs, minding your head against his shoulder. “I don’t know. I think I was supposed to meet your eyes that day in town.”

You look up to meet his gaze, in awe of the way the golden rays of sunshine reflect in his brown eyes. It makes your entire heart warm as you bring yourself even closer to him. “So do I.”

Din smiles more as he also leans in closer, his nose brushing against yours before he kisses you in an achingly soft and slow manner. It’s as if you’re each absorbing every single little feeling, memorizing the way your lips fit together as perfectly as possible. Your heart soars as high as the treetops even as Din pulls away, still keeping things under control as he rests his forehead against yours. “You know what they call this?” Din asks, his voice hushed to preserve the intimacy of the moment.

“What?” you respond, imitating his tone as your gaze never strays from his.

“A  _ kov’nyn _ .” The way the word falls so sweetly from his tongue makes even more butterflies take off inside your stomach as you wait for him to elaborate. “A Keldabe kiss. It can be used in battle if it’s delivered hard, but when it’s soft…” Din raises his free hand to cup your cheek, “it’s a way Mandalorians can kiss without removing their helmets.”

You smile upon hearing that. “That’s how we can kiss after you swear your Creed, then, right?”

Din nods and brushes his thumb over your cheek. “Right.”

“We can keep practicing it, then, for when the time comes.” Din chuckles at that, though you’ve pulled away as you now look at the tempting waters of the stream. The sun’s intensity has increased ever since you’ve sat down along the bank, making you crave the coolness of the water. “But for now, I think it’s time to  _ fully  _ test the waters.”

You don’t wait for Din as you let yourself slide into the water that comes up to your waist. A sigh of relief falls from your lips at the way it cools you down and you turn to face Din and wave him in. His expression is full of nothing but amusement and adoration as he follows you in, also releasing a breath as he approaches you in the water. “Isn’t it nice,  _ cyar’ika? _ ”

You spin around, letting the soft bed of the stream run underneath your toes as you grin widely. “It feels  _ amazing _ .”

“Then here, have some more.” You wrinkle your brow before Din scoops up some of the water in his hands, splashing it towards your face.

You gasp with surprise before you raise your brow at him, shaking your head as you prepare to retaliate. “You have no idea what you’ve just started, Din.”

Din shrugs nonchalantly, his gaze flickering to the way you’ve prepared your hands. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Chaos ensues from then on, your laughs and surprised shrieks filling the air as you go back-and-forth throwing and splashing some of the water. You could care less about how soaked your clothes become, welcoming the cool droplets amidst the Scespa heat as you focus on handing the Mandalorian trainee his first loss outside of training. At one point, you get close enough to jump on his back, trying to take him under as he stands firm where he is. Din’s laughter is contagious as you nearly lose your breath doing the same, ultimately causing you to slip off his back and nearly fall right under the surface yourself.

Instead, Din catches you, quickly lifting you back up to keep you away from the surface. The motion is so rapid that it causes your body to nearly knock right into his, keeping you flush against him as you catch your breath from all your laughing. As soon as you stop, you realize the tempting consequence of your positioning, nearly causing your breath to disappear yet again as your gaze meets Din’s own with intensity.

Your hands rest upon Din’s chest as one of his holds tight to your waist, keeping you in place as his other hand meets the side of your face. His knuckles brush over your skin, his admiration obvious as the sun glows over your skin. You would do anything to stop time in all the galaxy so you could stay right here forever, your heart beating fast enough to fly out of your chest and your entire body lighting up with a spark that can’t be put out. The lovely ache only gets stronger when Din’s hand gently takes your chin to pull your face to his, sealing his lips over yours to create a warmth that rivals the Scespa summer day. You draw yourself even closer to him, unable to get enough of the affection Din has to offer as he effortlessly moves his mouth in time with your own.

As always, he breaks away long before you’d both like to, shining that sweet and shy smile at you as he lets his hand fall from your chin. Though the gesture softens your heart at how careful Din is about these new and powerful affections, you decide to finally address it, tilting your head at him as you keep your hands pressed against his chest.

“You don’t have to hold back like that, Din,” you assure him softly, watching as his brow wrinkles in slight concern. You answer his question before he has a chance to ask it. “I know you’re trying to keep things respectful, and I appreciate that more than you know, but… I’m okay with more.”

Din’s gaze flickers with a new light as he searches your own for a further sign of your honesty. “Are you sure? I don’t want to… overwhelm you,  _ cyar’ika _ .”

You shake your head, smiling as you lift your hands from his chest to instead take both his hands in yours. “You won’t.” You see a boulder just behind Din, and by walking forward, you encourage him to sit upon it. Once he’s comfortable with that, you stand in front of him, waiting for his consent to sit in the position you’re thinking of. Din obliges with the gentle touch of his hands upon your waist, easing you down on top of him until your chests touch. The water still reaches high enough to cover everything from the waist down, but that’s not what you’re paying attention to. You’ve already lost yourself in Din’s gaze, your hands rising to hold his face as you slowly close the full distance between the two of you.

As soon as your lips touch again, you’re met with a surge of strong affection and desire, charging every move as you mold your mouths together in a breathless passion. It’s as natural as can be, the way you melt together as your hands travel from his face to his hair. Din’s hands run over your waist, above and beneath the water, as he urges you as close as you can get to himself. The rest of the galaxy feels numb to you as you feel the most of Din you’ve ever been able to, attempting to memorize the way he breathes you in and gently yet urgently presses his tongue against your own. There’s nothing held back any longer between the two of you as you share this moment that seems to suspend in time forever, refusing to pull away until your lungs absolutely demand it.

You continue in this cycle for longer than you bother to keep track of, not caring about the concept of time when the affection you share easily supersedes it. Every time you have to stop to catch your breath, you lean your foreheads together, already practicing the Mandalorian gesture the way you’d stated before. You and Din never fail to exchange a warm smile, as pleased and happy as ever even with chests that heave and lips that have started to sting from their agonizingly sweet work.

You’re about to lean into him again when you suddenly hear a rustling from the woods behind you. Urgently, you pull yourself away, pressing your hands against Din’s chest as you turn and try to see who or what is out there. At the same time, Din’s hands lift from your waist to your back, pressing you even tighter against him in a protective manner. Both of you are on full alert, now, with Din’s brow furrowed as he searches the surrounding wood.

“What was that?” you whisper, not wanting to be heard by anyone except Din.

“I’m not sure,” Din answers honestly, not breaking his gaze away from the trees even as he slightly loosens his grasp on you.

“Maybe we should go somewhere else,” you suggest, successfully spooked as you already start to stand from your place in Din’s lap.

“ _ Cyar’ika _ , wait—,” Din tries to stop you.

“We don’t want anyone to—,” you start saying, but cut yourself off just after you climb back onto the bank. You freeze with your eyes practically popping out of your head when you see what’s waiting on the bank, staring you down with hostile eyes.

A massiff.

“Din,” you whisper-shout, not looking away from the creature that’s watching your every move. “Why is there a  _ massiff  _ on  _ Scespa? _ ”

“I… don’t know,” Din confesses, also keeping his voice low. “It probably escaped from someone’s highfalutin menagerie.”

“Was that Basic?” you half-joke, quickly turning your head to see that you’re just a few feet away from the stream. “Maybe if I get back in, it won’t follow me.”

“Wait,” Din tries to stop you. “I can—.”

“I’ll be quick.” Your words are more confident than your actions, and when the massiff growls at you, you’re successfully intimidated. You start to make a move towards the stream, causing the massiff to run over and sink his teeth into your lower leg.

“ _ Ner kar’ta! _ ” You can hear Din’s exclamation of fear even over your gasp of surprise and pain.

Your shock causes the pain to go numb for a while—and you think it’s made you hear another growl from behind you. Yet, when you turn your head, you can see Din grunting and growling right at the massiff. As soon as Din starts communicating with it, the massiff backs away from you, its head lowering apologetically. Din finally climbs up from the stream and approaches it, giving it a few pets and then gesturing towards the surrounding wood. It bounds away, and without another moment wasted, Din turns his full attention to you.

“Let me see,” Din commands softly, kneeling down by your leg and lifting it as gingerly as he can. You wince at the movement, watching as he inspects the deep marks that have already started to bleed. “ _ Cyar’ika _ …” Din trails off, looking up at you with his brow wrinkled in concern. “Do you know any remedies for an animal bite? Are there any flowers or plants around here I can get?”

You shake your head, attempting to take a deep breath as your words come out shaky. “I only know something for mild animal bites,” you insist. “Nothing like…  _ this _ .”

“All right, that’s okay.” Din’s voice is somehow even, looking around the clearing thoughtfully. He takes a deep breath, looking at you again with a gaze that convinces you everything will be okay. “I have an idea. I know someone who can treat this. Do you think you can hang in there for a quick trip back towards town?”

You nod. “I’m not sure I can walk, though.” You whimper even when Din just sets your leg back onto the ground, causing him to grimace as he still provides you with a comforting expression.

“I wasn’t planning on making you walk.” He manages a small smile before he looks back down at the bleeding wound. “I’ve got to find a way to stop the bleeding for now, though.” Din releases a soft breath, nodding to himself before his hands rest on the collar of his shirt. He pulls it over his head in one swift motion, the view becoming a welcome distraction amongst your pain and shock. Din focuses on tying the shirt on your leg just above the wound, pulling it tight. You release a quick gasp at the sensation, immediately causing Din to look up at you. “I’m sorry,  _ cyar’ika _ , I know it hurts.”

“It’s okay.” Your voice is soft now as the shock settles in, threatening to make you faint completely as Din stands and hurries closer to you. He picks you up gently with one arm under your knees and the other on your back, allowing your head to rest upon his bare shoulder as you release a hum. “This helps.”

You can hear Din’s chuckle in his chest as he puts both your shoes on, beginning to rush out of the clearing. “I’m glad. We’ll be there soon—just stay with me, okay?”

You nod, absorbing the warmth of his body and trying to keep yourself from letting the shock take you under. You’re still surprised at how he’s composed himself, especially because of how protective he is. “How are you so calm, Din?”

Din chuckles again, the running he’s doing even with your full weight in his arms seeming like nothing to him. “It’s all on the outside,  _ cyar’ika _ . You have no idea how much I wanted to…” Din shakes his head, instead jostling you a bit to get your head closer to his neck.

Since your eyes are closed and your head’s nestled into Din’s skin, you can’t tell where you are, and you’re still trying to fight to stay awake. You decide to keep speaking to him to help yourself. “How did you… know how to talk to it?”

Din remains silent for a moment, obviously focusing on the path ahead before he responds. “I learned Tusken from my mentor. Massiffs are mainly used by Tuskens.”

“That’s… incredible.” You smile to yourself, releasing a deep breath as you feel a strong urge to let your mind slip away.

“We’re almost there,” Din assures you. It feels as if it hasn’t been long—but you figure the shock has messed considerably with your concept of time. You open your eyes to keep yourself from drifting off, watching as buildings pass by. You think you might be in town, but nothing looks familiar, making you furrow your brow as Din soon approaches a building. He doesn’t step in the door, though; instead, he pushes past a curtain, taking you underground as he swiftly descends a staircase.

“Where are we?” you manage to ask, keeping your voice quiet as Din now hurries through the dimly lit underground space.

“Din! Din!” you hear a few different little voices exclaiming his name before he can answer. You wrinkle your brow, turning your head a bit to see the images of young children approaching him with excited expressions.

“ _ Nu jii, adike _ ,” Din says to them, his voice strong despite all the running he’s done with you.  _ Not now, little ones. _ He passes right by them, soon turning a corner and pushing through another curtain to enter a room. Din stops just inside there and you can sense another presence as Din addresses them. “ _ Ni liniba gar gaa’tayl, buir _ .”  _ I need your help, father. _

You turn your head just to see a fully armored Mandalorian standing across from you, his visor turning to look at the two of you as he tilts his helmet. Your eyes widen as you finally realize exactly where you are.

You’re in Din’s covert—and you’re about to meet his Mandalorian father.


	6. Warm Welcomes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din’s covert helps you with your wound, keeping you around for longer than you thought.

The Mandalorian remains where he is, evidently trying to wrap his mind around the situation as he observes a shirtless and no doubt desperate Din carrying you with your wounded leg. “ _Me’bana, ner ad?_ ” the Mandalorian finally says, his modulated voice low yet full of genuine concern. _What happened, my child?_ “ _O’r Basic_ .” _In Basic_.

“A massiff,” Din starts to explain, switching to Basic as he walks forward with you. There’s already a bed set up, leaving you to conclude that this is Din’s mentor’s room. The thought makes you feel slightly embarrassed as Din gently sets you down, letting you lay upon it.

“Massiff?” Din’s mentor echoes. “On Scespa? Are you certain?”

“Yes,” Din insists, keeping his hands on one of your shoulders reassuringly as he turns his head to look at his mentor. “I don’t know how—I think it might’ve come from the market—but it bit _ner… burc’ika_ after they accidentally startled the massiff.”

“‘ _Gar burc’ika_ ,’ _eh?_ ” _Your “dear friend,” huh?_ The Mandalorian walks around the bed until he’s at your feet, inspecting the wound that’s still tied off by Din’s shirt. He gently takes a hold of your lower leg, his gloved hands barely felt as his visor looks back up at you. “How badly does it hurt?” he asks you.

You swallow hard, trying to find your voice in your shock of being _here_ , in the presence of Din’s people and family. “I… I don’t know,” you answer honestly.

Din grimaces and looks from you to his mentor again. “I think they’re still in shock,” he explains. His tone is full of worry, now—something he’s not afraid to show in the presence of people who he knows can care for you properly.

The Mandalorian lifts his hands from your leg, letting out a calculated breath. “ _Osik._ ” _Shit_ . “Keep talking to them, _ner ad_ . They need to stay awake.” He’s already started towards the curtain. “I’m going to get _cuun alor_.”

Din nods, despite the fact his mentor isn’t looking his way anymore. He looks upon you with the most reassuring smile that he can manage. “Welcome to my home,” Din says with a short chuckle, brushing a hand over your head. “Sorry it’s… not under the best circumstances.”

You shrug, content with the repeated motion of his hand as you return his smile. “Keeps life exciting, right?”

Din shakes his head, smiling fondly at you. “How dare you make jokes at a time like this.”

You laugh and squeeze the hand that’s not touching your head. “I’ll be _fine_ , Din. It’s just a bite.” You look around the small room, and though it’s not much, it feels comfortable to you. “Plus, I feel safe here.”

Din’s gaze softens as he furrows his brow. “Really?”

“Yeah.” You take a quick look at the curtain to make sure no one’s coming before you lift his knuckles to your lips, kissing them as you drown in his affectionate brown gaze. “Seems like the children were excited to see you.”

Din playfully rolls his eyes. “Only because I’m their personal playground.”

You giggle at that. “I highly doubt that’s the _only_ reason why.” You lift a hand to brush some of the wavy strands away from Din’s face. “I bet you’re an amazing older brother.”

Din’s cheeks flush red as he smiles widely, easily caught in your trance. “I try.” The words are murmured, full of emotion he can’t properly show or describe right now—but you understand it. You know he was an only child before he was taken in by the Mandalorians and you know how that’s made him protective of every other child who’s also been left alone.

Before you can say more, the curtain moves, causing the two of you to separate as a new Mandalorian comes in. Their helmet is different from Din’s mentor’s, who trails behind them: it’s golden with small spikes sticking out of the top of it. The visor curves more around the eyes, though what truly catches your attention the closer they come is the fur that sits across their shoulders.

“Din Djarin,” they say almost teasingly—a female voice. “Who have you decided to rescue this time?”

Din once again blushes as he gestures to you. He tells her your name before he goes on. “They’re not a Mandalorian,” he adds, which you assume addresses the _alor_ ’s teasing of him before.

“Evidently,” the _alor_ responds, her voice calm as she stands at your feet. “I’ve had yet to see them before.” She begins to address you when she continues. “I hear you’ve come across a massiff.” You nod, still too intimidated to use your words. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen one myself. It’s a wonder one appeared on Scespa.”

“Do you know how to treat the bite?” Din asks almost impatiently. You don’t miss the way his mentor tilts his helmet at him in warning.

“Yes.” The _alor_ ’s tone doesn’t change despite Din’s, though she does start to reach into a pouch on her belt. “This is a special solution gifted to us by the Tuskens many moons ago.” She takes a small rag from the other side of her belt, beginning to lather it with the small bottle of solution. “This will sting badly for a few moments. I suggest you stay close to them for comfort.” The _alor_ nods at Din, causing him to come closer to you again as he offers his hand to you. With a small smile, you take it between both of yours, letting the look in his eyes encourage you as you turn to watch the _alor_ set the solution-soaked cloth over your leg.

It stings just as she’d promised. You release a sharp gasp—no matter how hard you tried to hold it back—and grit your teeth as a pained whimper pushes its way past your lips. Din offers you his other hand, squeezing yours as he quietly coos sweet words of reassurance that only you can hear. Listening solely to him and knowing the pain will be worth it, you push through the rest of the stinging, breathing a sigh of relief when the _alor_ lifts the cloth from your leg.

“ _Jate bora_ ,” the _alor_ says. When you wrinkle your brow at her, she tilts her helmet at you. “That means ‘good work.’” She puts the cloth away and exchanges it for a wrap, gently beginning to cover the wound with that. “I presume Din Djarin will be teaching you more soon.”

You look up at Din for confirmation. His cheeks are yet again tinted with pink as he shrugs, returning your look. “Do you want to learn more?” he asks you softly.

You nod excitedly. “Of course!” you exclaim.

“Din Djarin already teaches the foundlings who haven’t learned our language yet,” the _alor_ informs you. Your heart’s become an absolute puddle within your chest at the revelation, making you smile wide up at Din as he looks away in embarrassment. “Based on their progress, I would say he makes a good teacher.”

“I believe you.” You say the words without hesitation, unable to keep the admiration out of your voice and your gaze as you look upon him. Din’s still too embarrassed to return your gaze, though he gives your hands a squeeze in silent thanks.

The _alor_ finishes with the wrap, cleaning up all her tools and putting them back where she’d gotten them from. She unties Din’s shirt from around your leg and steps towards Din, giving the shirt back to him before gesturing with her helmet towards the curtain. “I would like to speak with you for a moment,” the _alor_ says.

Din nods, looking at you to make sure you’ll be all right. You reassure him with a smile, setting your hands upon your middle as you watch Din and the _alor_ disappear behind the curtain. You’re left with Din’s mentor as you take a deep breath, attempting to calm yourself and start a conversation.

“Thank you, sir,” you begin, your voice quieter than usual thanks to your shyness. “For letting me in your home and getting help.”

He nods at you. “This is the Way,” he responds. He pauses before going on. “I’ve known Din ever since he was a boy, but… I don’t think I’ve seen him so worried before.”

You shrug, attempting to brush off the implication of his words. “Massiffs are intimidating creatures,” you insist, “and it all happened so fast. I can see why he was scared.”

The Mandalorian hums thoughtfully. You remain in brief silence, which he breaks with a curious tone. “How long have you known each other?”

Your hands fidget as you try to make the best impression. “A few weeks.”

Din’s mentor tilts his helmet. “How did you meet?”

“He came to my stall.” You clear your throat before you elaborate. “I work for my family. We sell herbal medicines.”

“Ah.” The Mandalorian turns his helmet back towards the curtain for a moment. “So you are the one from whom he learned about ramitrol and vibracotrol.”

You nod, soon realizing he hasn’t seen the movement. “Yes.”

Din’s mentor turns back to you. “He’s spoken of you before. Quite fondly.” You try your best not to physically react to his words as he goes on. “He said you’re very knowledgeable.”

You shrug nonchalantly. “I try, sir.”

“You may call me _cabur_ , _sar’ika_ .” You’re about to correct yourself when he continues. “It means ‘guardian.’ So long as _ner ad_ keeps you in high regard, you may see me as such.”

You smile widely at that. “Thank you, _cabur_. That… means a lot.”

Cabur—which you’ve substituted for a name in your mind—nods, turning his head when the curtain opens again. Only Din walks in this time, his form now covered by a new shirt as he looks at his mentor. “ _Ni ven ba’slana gar solus_ ,” Cabur tells Din softly. _I will leave you alone_ . “ _Jorhaa’i ti ni ibic ca_ .” _Talk to me tonight_.

Din nods, waiting until Cabur leaves to come back to your side. You move over on the bed to make room for him, letting him sit beside your head as you lean it against his thigh. “Are you feeling any better?” Din asks, his voice soft and full of genuine concern as he starts to brush his hand over your head just like before.

You smile up at him. “Yeah.” You hum with content, both at his actions and at the people you’ve met so far in his covert. “Din, your home is _lovely_.”

“Yeah?” Din’s brown eyes sparkle as he returns your smile. “You’ve only met two people, _cyar’ika_.”

“And they were absolutely _lovely_ .” You nuzzle your face more into Din as your entire body warms with the most pleasant of feelings. “Your mentor said I can call him _cabur_.”

“Did he?”

“Mhm.” You try your best not to doze off at Din’s relaxing movements and his warmth. “He also called me… I think it was _sar’ika_.”

Din doesn’t respond right away, but you can feel the way his hand falters its movements for a moment. Your gaze looks up to meet his, just to watch as he smiles in a way you haven’t even seen before. “‘Little flower.’ He must know you’re the one I’ve told him about.”

“So, you’ve been talking about me?” Your words are playful yet thick with admiration.

“It’s hard not to, _ner kar’ta_.”

You shake your head, taking his free hand and pressing a kiss to his palm. Peaceful silence sits between the two of you for a while until your curiosity gets the best of you. “What did your _alor_ say to you?”

“The Armorer?” Din asks. You nod, hoping you’re referring to the same person. “She… well, actually, she wanted me to ask you about this.” He clears his throat before going on. “I know this could be hard for you, but she’d like you to stay the night if possible. The solution usually takes a day to work and she wants to make sure you’re healed properly.”

You smile wide. “Of course I can.”

Din furrows his brow with worry. “What about your parents?”

“I’ll tell them I went to Drinna’s.”

Din grimaces. “Will they believe that?”

You nod. “And she’ll go along with it.”

With a sigh, Din finally gives in. “All right.” He looks around the room. “Then we should get you into my quarters.” Before you even have a chance to attempt sitting up on your own, Din helps you, closing one hand around yours and using the other to support your upper back. “I don’t want you walking on that yet.” His words prepare you for his next action, when he scoops you up into his arms the same way he had before.

You rest comfortably against his shoulder, beaming up at him as he heads for the curtain. Your gaze observes his focused brown eyes and glowing skin with such ardent admiration that you think your chest might burst. “Only you could make a massiff bite feel like the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” you say, watching Din scoff as he steals a quick look at you.

“Don’t say that, _ner kar’ta_ ,” Din remarks, pushing past the curtain and making his way through the tunnel. It still filters enough light for you to see other Mandalorians sitting much further down the way, along with a small group of children heading in your direction. “I was very scared, you know.”

“I know,” you assure him with a giggle. “But I knew you’d keep me safe.”

Din glances down at you with warmth, but before he can respond, the group of children approaches you. “Din!” one of them exclaims, making you smile even wider as you look upon them. Three pairs of eyes stare at you with wonder. “Who’s this?” Din’s about to speak when they cut him off with a loud giggle. “ _Gar cyar’ika?_ ” The two other children also giggle.

You watch as Din playfully rolls his eyes. “Maybe,” he answers, unable to hide his smile—especially upon seeing yours.

The three children squeal in victory as they start to parade around you with a single chant. “Din has a _cyar’ika!_ ” they tease. “Din has a _cyar’ika!_ ” They call out the words over and over, making you cover your mouth with your hand as you laugh. Din shakes his head dismissively, but you don’t miss the tint of pink on his cheeks.

“And all three of you will get knocked on your _sheb’ika_ if you don’t stop that,” Din insists, making them all laugh as they finally stop their lighthearted taunting.

“Are you two gonna go _murcyu?_ ” another one of the children asks. The other children cry out _Ew!_ and make gagging noises, giving you an idea of what they’re talking about.

“Who taught you that word?” Din scoffs incredulously, effortlessly making them all laugh again. You giggle with them, trying to hide it as Din looks down at you with an overdramatic expression of disappointment. “Not you too, _cyar’ika_.”

“I knew it!” one of the children cries out. “Din has a—!”

“ _Vaii cuy gar buire, adike?_ ” Din cuts them off, raising his brow at the children. _Where are your parents, little ones?_ “It’s getting late. If you’re late for third meal, then…”

The children share a worried look, two of them already starting to dash away as one stays. She’s a little girl, her eyes pitiful as she looks up at Din with evident sadness. “But we missed you today, Din,” she whines.

Your heart has just about melted into a puddle within your chest as you look between her and Din, especially as he kneels down to her level while keeping you steady in his arms. “ _N'eparavu takisit_ ,” Din tells her genuinely. _I’m sorry_ . “I had to take care of _ner cyar’ika_ .” Din smiles and frees a hand from you to pat the little girl’s head. “We can play together tomorrow—and I’m sure _ner cyar’ika_ would love to join.”

“I absolutely would,” you agree wholeheartedly, smiling as the little girl looks like she’s about to burst with joy.

“Now, hurry along,” Din instructs her, pointing towards the place where the other children went. “We won’t be able to play if you get in trouble.”

She nods, starting to run off before she stops herself and turns around to face you and Din again. “ _Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum, Din’ika!_ ” _I love you, dear Din!_

Din beams as he nods at her. “ _Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum, ad’ika._ ”

She smiles wider and finishes running off, making you look back up at Din with pure adoration in your gaze. Din doesn’t seem to notice until he’s starting to head towards another curtain, making him chuckle as he furrows his brow.

“What?” Din asks innocently.

“ _What?_ ” you repeat with a scoff, only wanting to melt even more when Din sets you down upon his bed in the softest of manners. “Did we just see two different things in that tunnel?”

Din shakes his head, propping up his pillows to help you to sit up. “That was just the foundlings being the foundlings.”

You take a hold of his chin to make his sparkling gaze meet your own. “And you being the most amazing older sibling ever.” When you both smile at each other, you quickly kiss him, not wanting to make it a spectacle in case someone walks in. You brush your hand over his cheek, unable to fathom how deeply you’ve come to care for him even in this short amount of time. “Now, tell me: does _cyar’ika_ mean ‘crush’ or ‘partner?’”

Din chuckles, shrugging. “Something like that.” He lifts his hand to keep yours pressed against his cheek, his gaze never straying from yours as he continues. “It means… ‘sweetheart,’ or ‘darling.’”

You smile and shake your head slowly. “That’s… well, that’s adorable, Din.” His cheeks turn pink for the umpteenth time today as he shrugs again. “What about _ner kar’ta?_ ”

Din raises an eyebrow. “Now, that one’s going to be my secret for a little while longer.”

You pout dramatically. “Oh, come on! It sounds so pretty.”

Din brushes a hand over your ear as he smiles. “Just like you.” He kisses your forehead before he reluctantly starts to pull away. “I’m not sure what’s being prepared for third meal, but I might be able to get you some soup. Is that okay?”

You nod with a joyful grin. “That sounds _perfect_.”

“All right.” Din starts to head towards the curtain. “Sit tight, okay? I’ll be right back.”

You watch as Din disappears around the curtain, taking a deep breath as you keep smiling stupidly to yourself. It’s almost as if you’ve somehow landed in some other world by visiting Din’s covert—one you could see yourself living in, if you thought hard enough about it. Even as you look around Din’s room and observe its simplicity, you know you wouldn’t mind such a setting. It’s the people who give it life, the way this covert functions with everyone feeling like family from the moment you pass through their threshold.

Your thoughts are interrupted when you hear a feminine voice from outside the curtain. “Din?” she calls, starting to pull at the curtain before you can respond. “I—…” She stops and trails off when she sees you. Instantly, you recognize her as the person who’d been with Din in the marketplace the day you first saw him. Though she’s not his little sister by blood, you think she might as well be, looking much like him with a pair of sweet brown eyes that look upon you with curiosity.

“Din’s getting third meal,” you say with a reassuring smile. “You must be his _vod’ika_.” You pray to the Maker you pronounced the word right.

She tilts her head curiously at you, taking a few steps closer to where you sit on his bed. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I…” Once again, she trails off and pauses, suddenly snapping her fingers as her eyes brighten. “You must be the one who knows about the herbal medicines!”

You nod. “That would be me.”

She waves her hand at you. “I’m Zena. It seems you already know who I am—and I happen to know quite a bit about you, too.”

“Is that so?” You raise an eyebrow in slight amusement.

“Well, I know that you’re just as _mesh’la_ as Din described you to be,” Zena informs you.

“ _Mesh’la?_ ” You repeat, earning a nod and a smile. “That’s a new one.”

Zena giggles and looks over her shoulder, making sure her brother isn’t coming before she cups her hand over her mouth and responds. “It means ‘beautiful.’”

You playfully roll your eyes and shake your head in an attempt to shrug off your embarrassment. “Of course.” You laugh with her as you go on. “Has he said anything else?”

“Oh, _plenty_. He first said you’re—.”

Zena cuts herself off when the curtain opens again, revealing Din’s figure with two bowls of soup in hand. He narrows his eyes at Zena suspiciously. “ _Vod’ika_ ,” Din greets cautiously. “ _Me’bana?_ ” _What’s happening?_

You and Zena share a look as she shrugs innocently. “ _Naas_ ,” she insists. _Nothing._

Din continues to stare her down with suspicion, even as he walks back over to you and hands you a bowl of soup. You thank him warmly, getting his gaze to meet yours as you exchange a look that says more than words can.

This seems to catch Zena’s attention. “ _Copikla_ ,” Zena comments with a smirk. _Cute_.

“ _K’uur!_ ” Din calls out, using his hand to gesture to the curtain. _Hush!_ “ _Usen'ye!_ ” _Go away!_

Zena smiles one last time before she leaves, making you laugh as you stir the soup around with your spoon. Din looks at you with his brow furrowed, as if he’s afraid to ask you what he wants to.

“What did she say?” Din questions, his hands now fiddling with his own spoon in the bowl of soup.

“Oh, nothing,” you assure him nonchalantly, eating a spoonful of the soup before you go on. “Just that you said I’m _mesh’la_.”

Din looks relieved upon hearing that. “That’s it?” You nod, making him exhale as he also eats a spoonful. “Well, that’s something you already know.”

You grin and shake your head at him. “Yeah, but you tell other people that, too?”

“Yes.” Din looks at you incredulously. “Why wouldn’t I?”

You shrug. Din clicks his tongue at you and kisses your cheek, making you smile wider as you both return to your meals.

Throughout third meal and after, you talk more about Din’s covert. While he’d told you some things before, you ask questions about the people you’ve already seen, wanting to get an even better understanding of the place you’ve already come to adore so much. Din starts to teach you the basics of Mando’a, such as simple greetings and other formalities. You’ve already laughed so hard you nearly cried at one point when you gravely mispronounced a word, something you’re still recovering from when the curtain opens.

“ _Ner ad?_ ” Cabur says, tilting his helmet at the sight of the two of you. Din quickly moves to stand up from where he’s been sitting beside you, making you hold back a wince at the loss of warmth. “Before you rest for the night… let’s talk.”

Din nods, looking over at you to make sure you’ll be all right. You give him a reassuring smile, watching him walk forward to meet Cabur. They step around the curtain, though they remain just outside as you can barely hear their low voices.

“ _Ibic gar cyar’ika?_ ” Cabur asks. _This is your sweetheart?_

“ _Elek_ ,” Din responds firmly. _Yes_ . “ _Sar’ika_.”

“They seem _dral_ .” _Strong_.

“They are. I began to train them not long ago. They learn fast.”

“ _Ven cuy Mando?_ ” _Will they be a Mandalorian?_

There’s a pause. Though you can’t understand everything they’re saying, you know they’re talking about you—and that makes you hold your breath. “ _Ni nu’suvari_ .” _I don’t understand._

Cabur sighs softly. Then, he speaks again. “ _Ven cuy gar riduur?_ ” _Will they be your spouse?_

Silence. Your fingers fiddle with each other as you wait for Din to say something. “ _Sol’tuur_ . _Vercopaani_ .” _One day. I hope_.

You hear what sounds like Cabur’s gloved hand upon Din’s shoulder. “ _Jate_ .” _Good_. “Make sure you both rest this evening.”

You’re not sure if Cabur is implying what you think he is, but the thought alone makes your body go hot with embarrassment, causing you to sink further into the pillows as you watch the curtain swish open. Din walks through with a look that glows brighter than you’ve ever seen, giving you no choice but to return his smile as he joins you on the bed once again. “Did it go all right?” you ask softly, just in case Cabur’s still outside.

Din nods reassuringly, pressing a lingering kiss to your temple. “It went great,” he assures you. “ _Ner buir_ just… wanted to make sure you were comfortable.”

You smile and nod, cuddling into Din’s form as he encourages you to lie down beside him. “Possibly the most comfortable I’ve ever been.”

Din chuckles and pulls you into his arms, tucking your head underneath his chin. “That makes two of us, _cyar’ika_ .” He showers your head with affectionate kisses as he finishes pulling the blanket over the top of you. “Now get some sleep, _ner kar’ta_. You’ve had quite a day today.”

Even as sleep starts to take over, your smile remains, your arms wrapping around Din’s middle as you keep yourself pulled tight against him. “Goodnight, Din. Thank you for everything.”

Din runs a hand over your back. “ _Jate’ca_ , _cyar’ika_ .” _Goodnight, sweetheart_.

With those sweet words fresh in mind, you fall asleep, already convinced you’re in a dream as you rest in Din’s arms—completely unaware of what’s to come the moment you dare to leave them.


	7. Ardent Admiration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You remain with Din at the covert for another day, falling more and more in love with the lifestyle—and him.

When you wake up the next morning, you’re convinced yesterday was a dream—until you lift your head and meet Din’s affectionate brown gaze as he smiles sweetly at you. You return his smile as he brushes his hand over your head, a movement you know he’s been repeating even while you slept.

“ _ Jate vaar’tur, cyar’ika _ ,” Din says softly, his voice a pure rasp in his effort to keep it quiet. When you furrow your brow at the unfamiliar words, Din smiles more. “That means ‘good morning.’”

Your smile returns as you nod. “Good morning, Din,” you greet, your stomach filling with butterflies when he kisses you softly.

“Did you sleep well?” Din asks as soon as he pulls away, his tone full of genuine concern as he sets a careful hand upon your cheek. Your heart flutters in your chest when his thumb runs over your skin, his gaze searching yours for true and honest answers. Even something that seems as simple as sleeping means everything to Din.

“I think that’s the best sleep I’ve ever had,” you confess honestly, giggling a bit as relief washes over Din’s features.

“Good.” Din grins brilliantly, though it falters slightly as he begins to focus intently on something. You realize when his knuckles brush down the side of your face that it’s  _ you _ . He’s speechless for a few moments, making you bite back a smile as he shakes his head aimlessly. “You are  _ so _ …” Din trails off, still unable to put proper words to his thoughts.

You whimper in embarrassment and try to hide your face in his neck. “ _ Dinnn _ ,” you drag, unable to resist smiling when you hear him laugh and reach for the sides of your face. Soon, you’re drowning in his brown eyes again, watching as they glow with each word he says.

“Don’t hide from me,” Din urges you softly, his nose brushing against yours before he kisses you again. “I want to memorize you.” He kisses you yet again, becoming more passionate with each one. “With my own eyes.” His next kiss nearly takes your breath away, leaving you to look at him with helpless affection as he gently eases his way above you. “Before… it’s too… late.” Din kisses you over and over again, something you gladly reciprocate as you hold his face tenderly between your hands—afraid that you’ll lose him if you let go.

Refusing to think about the implications of Din’s words, you urge him even closer to you, trapping you between his body and the bed as you breathe your life and your love into him. He does the same to you, suffocating you in that beautiful way that makes air itself seem ineffectual. Your lungs burn with the same flame your heart does, burning hotter and hotter the more Din melts against you as the galaxy fades around you.

That is, until you hear footsteps outside the curtain of the room.

Din pulls away quickly yet reluctantly, looking over his shoulder before he falls back to your side. You keep a hand pressed upon his arm as the curtain swishes to the side, revealing Zena as she carries two bowls with a warm smile.

“ _ Su cuy’gar, cyarike _ ,” Zena introduces, a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she sets the bowls down upon a table beside Din’s bed.  _ Hello, sweethearts _ . “Sleep well? Or at all?”

“ _ Vod’ika _ ,” Din warns, raising an eyebrow at his sister.

Zena shrugs innocently, narrowing her eyes as she studies something on Din. She smirks with satisfaction as she circles her finger over her own lips. “ _ Ge’tal _ .”  _ Red _ .

You look over to see Din’s cheeks flushing as he gets up from the bed. “ _ K’uur _ .”  _ Hush _ . As embarrassed as Din might be, he still smiles at his little sister, kissing her forehead and then gesturing to the bowls. “ _ Vor’e, vod’ika _ .”  _ Thank you, little sister. _

Zena nods, smiling at you before she turns and leaves the room. You furrow your brow and look at Din. “What’d she say?” you question curiously.

Din shakes his head. “You’d rather not know.” Still, he smiles as he grabs the bowls, handing one to you as you sit on the edge of his bed. “First meal is served.”

You grin and take a spoonful of the substance, instantly pleased by just the first bite. “This is  _ really  _ good.”

“We have it almost every morning.” Din stands just in front of you as he eats from his own bowl. “It’s good for a day of training.”

You tilt your head as you swallow your current bite. “Are you training today?”

Din shrugs. “I don’t think I’m supposed to. But I still like to get some work in on off days.” He gestures with his head towards the curtain as he takes and swallows another bite. “Often, I spar with others.”

You nod in understanding. You’re about to ask him more about sparring when you notice something shining on his desk, catching your full attention as it stands out from the dull wood of the table. You realize it’s a large collection of credits, more than you think you’ve ever seen together—even after a day’s work at the stall. “That’s a lot of credits.”

Din’s gaze follows yours, making him shrug again as he looks back to you. “I’ve been saving them for a while.” He pauses, his gaze averting yours momentarily as he takes another bite and goes on. “I… want to buy my own ship and travel to my home planet before I swear my Creed. That way, I can see it with my own eyes one last time.”

Strong sympathy fills you as you resist the urge to reach for his hand, instead looking at him with the comfort you hope to provide him with. “And your home planet isn’t Mandalore.”

Din nods. “It’s farther away from Scespa. That’s why I need my own ship.” He meets your gaze again as he distracts himself with another spoonful. “I have enough credits now, but I’m… just not ready yet.”

“And that’s okay.” Your reassurance comes quickly and firmly as you look at him with gentle severity. “You still have time.”

Din sighs lightly as his gaze falls again. “But not much of it.”

His words place a bantha in the room that both of you refuse to address. Ever since your whirlwind romance has begun, you’ve only hinted at the idea of what’s to come at the end of the summer with Din swearing his Creed and you moving offworld to the Brelle system. It’s something the two of you want to keep far away, no matter how much closer that reality comes.

Your brief silence is interrupted when Din looks at you with sincere concern. “How’s your leg feeling?”

You shrug and look down at it, the wrap still hiding the wound from you as you circle your ankle a few times. “It feels all right from what I can tell.” You don’t feel any pain from your actions, causing your optimism about the treatment to rise as you meet Din’s relieved gaze.

“Good.” He smiles at you as you set your bowl upon the nearby table, a mischievous glint in his eye as he quickly looks over his shoulder at the curtain. “We’ll keep you here the rest of today, though, just to be sure.”

You return his smile, watching with admiration as he takes your bowl for you. “Yeah. Rather be safe than sorry, right?”

Din nods. “Right.” He bends down to press a lingering kiss to your forehead, making your entire body warm as you grin at him with all the love and joy in your heart. “Let me go wash these out. I’ll be right back.”

Din waits for you to nod before he goes, pushing the curtain aside and leaving you alone. You take a deep breath while trying to wipe the stupid smile from your lips—but you can’t. Instead, you gaze longingly upon the opposite wall, unable to stop thinking about the events of the past day and night. You’ve never felt this happy and safe in your life and you’re determined to keep it this way. Part of you almost wants to ask Din if you can just stay here with him and his Mandalorian family, but you know what the repercussions of that would be. Even Din wouldn’t be able to agree to that.

The curtain starts to swish open and you’re about to greet your lover with a smile before you listen and realize he’s not the one who’s entering.

“ _ Ner vod _ ,” a deep and almost booming voice greets. “I heard you were—…” The young man trails off when he stops and sees you, tilting his head curiously before a sly smile appears on his lips. He’s at least double the size of Din, with skin that’s darker and eyes that glow bright with a friendly yet ambitious kind of light. “Ah, you must be the  _ cyar’ika _ I’ve heard so much about.”

You shrug at that, attempting to keep yourself from feeling embarrassed as he crosses his arms and chuckles. He lifts his chin a bit as he takes more time to observe you.

“I must say,” he goes on, remaining respectful even with his next words. “Djarin has good taste.”

“ _ Nari _ ,” Din suddenly says, pushing through the curtain quickly as he draws the attention onto himself.  _ I do _ . “ _ Me’copaani, ori’vod? _ ”  _ What do you want, older brother? _

Din’s  _ ori’vod  _ gestures to you. “Care to introduce me to your  _ cyar’ika _ first?”

You don’t miss the way Din’s cheeks turn pink at the name he’s called you. Din comes to your side and tells him your name. “This,” Din begins, gesturing with his head towards his  _ ori’vod _ , “is Paz.”

“Paz,” you repeat, narrowing your eyes at the familiarity of the name. Your eyes widen when it comes to you. “The vibroblade wound.”

Paz chuckles and looks at Din with amusement. “You’ve already told them about me?”

Your hands tighten into fists as you keep them on your lap. “You cut him with a  _ vibroblade? _ ”

Din sets one of his hands over both of yours, giving you a look of reassurance before he speaks. “That’s… just how it is with sparring,  _ cyar’ika _ ,” Din says softly. “It’s all right. Like I said before…” Din pauses to look at Paz with a friendly smile, “he’s like an older brother to me.”

“How touching,” Paz remarks, still grinning before he looks towards the curtain. “Now, can I  _ tetta gar shebs _ already?”  _ Can I kick your ass already? _

Din looks over at you. “I don’t know,” he starts. “I’ve got to look after them.”

“Oh, c’mon,” Paz urges. “They can watch. You’ll put on a show for them, won’t you?”

Din sends a warning glare in Paz’s direction as you shrug. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind seeing you in action, Din,” you agree, earning a look of surprise from him. “As long as you don’t let yourself get hurt.”

Din looks between you and Paz for a few moments, ultimately sighing as he nods. “Fine. Just let me get ready.”

Paz nods in return, leaving the room as you prepare to do the same. You start to stand when Din stops you, setting his hands upon your shoulders and furrowing his brow.

“You… don’t have to go.” Din searches your eyes, making sure you’re comfortable with this level of intimacy. It’s not much—just being present for a change of clothes—but Din’s as sensitive as ever to anything he does with you, something that touches your heart as you smile at him.

“All right.” Din returns your smile and steps away, reaching for clothes that look much more suited for fighting than the ones he’s currently wearing. “I can look away if you want me to.”

Din shrugs as he starts to tug at the collar of his shirt. “I don’t mind.” He smiles in the most charming manner after he pulls the shirt off, tossing the fabric aside and knowing full well that you’re enjoying the view. “If you can handle it.”

You shake your head and bite back a smile. “How arrogant,” you say playfully. “Where’d my sweet brown-eyed boy from the marketplace go?”

“He’s still here,” Din assures you as he slides on his new shirt. “He’s just hidden beneath the view.”

You roll your eyes dramatically and giggle, trying not to make a point of obviously watching as Din finishes changing into his training gear. He finishes off with a pair of boots that he ties off, testing them with a few firm steps before he nods at you.

“Ready to go?” Din sounds as gentle as usual, formally abandoning the cheekier side of himself as he walks back over to you. With a nod, you start to slide off the bed, accepting his hands for support as you stand for the first time since getting bit. It feels completely normal, making you smile wide.

“It doesn’t hurt,” you inform Din, causing him to release a visible breath of relief as he still keeps one of his hands in yours.

“Can you walk a few steps? Just to make sure?” Din gives your hand a gentle squeeze for silent support. You nod and do what he says, stepping forward and smiling even more when you’re just as stable as you’d normally be. Din moves with you, squeezing your hand again and pressing his lips against your temple. “Good,  _ cyar’ika _ ,” he mumbles against your skin, making your stomach fill with butterflies as you look at him adoringly. His gaze admires you just the same.

“I think it’s time for my ‘show’ now, isn’t it?” Your words break your brief silence as Din chuckles, shaking his head and leading the way out of his room.

“Paz is… being dramatic,” Din insists, still holding your hand even as you walk through the tunnels of the covert. “It’s not much.”

“It might not be much to  _ you _ ,” you respond, raising your brow as you look over at him, “but I’ve never gotten to see you in action before.”

“Fair enough,” Din remarks as he turns a corner in the tunnels and heads towards a wide curtain, pushing it aside to reveal a large room with a full wall of weapons, benches along the perimeter, and a center with flooring that designates it for fighting. Din remains silent as he walks you over to one of the benches, keeping his hand in yours as he helps you to sit and looks at you with glowing eyes. “I’ll make you proud,  _ ner kar’ta _ .”

You smile warmly at him. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

Din returns your smile and presses a kiss on your knuckles, letting your hand go as he steps away to head towards the wall of weapons. You watch him fondly as you cross your legs on top of the bench. Din reaches for a long fighting stick, one with two prongs on the end of it. He flips it a few times as if he’s testing the weight, eventually nodding to himself as he carries it over to the large square of softer flooring. Paz is already there flipping around a similar kind of stick, his size compared to Din’s making you nervous for him—but the confidence you have in your lover overpowers your nerves.

“What are you thinking,  _ ner vod? _ ” Paz says to Din, smirking as he flips the stick over his back and then secures it in front of himself with both hands. “Scared to embarrass yourself in front of your  _ vencuyot riduur? _ ”  _ Future spouse? _

“ _ Draar _ ,” Din retorts.  _ Never _ . He takes the stick in one hand and then steps back, swinging the stick with him as it remains by his side. “ _ K’olar _ .”  _ Come here. _

Whatever Din’s said, it’s caused Paz to rile up, letting out a battle cry as he charges towards Din with his fighting stick ready. Din lifts his just in time to counter Paz’s attack, holding off the blow and pushing back on Paz. His  _ ori’vod  _ falls back a step, putting him on the defensive as Din attacks skilfully rather than powerfully. With quick movements of his hands, Din strikes different parts of Paz’s fighting stick with his own, keeping Paz from initiating any kind of offensive maneuvers. At one point, Din even pretends to drop his stick, letting it fall as he squats down and turns to meet it, catching it again and using it to hit the back of Paz’s knee. He falls onto it, making your chest swell with excitement as Din starts to move towards ending the fight just as quickly as they’d started it.

Paz, however, is just as quick as Din, his hand grabbing Din’s stick and pulling it over his shoulder hard enough for Din to move with it. Din flips over Paz’s head yet lands gracefully as he rolls over shoulder backwards, tugging his stick from Paz’s grasp and staring him down with a determined gaze that sends a shiver down your spine. This is a whole new side to Din that you’re seeing—and it’s causing a skip in your heart as you nearly start to grasp your chest in surprise.

Din stands quickly as Paz does the same, meeting his stick with a strike of his own as he grunts loudly in his effort. They go back-and-forth a few times with the sticks before Din manages to get his stick between Paz’s and his body, pulling hard to disarm Paz as the stick clatters to the floor. Paz readies his fists and swings them towards Din, though Din’s prepared for it. He ducks and dodges until he can get the upper hand again, jutting the end of his stick into Paz’s stomach to knock the air from his lungs. The temporary distraction allows Din to keep striking him, getting both his sides with quick twists and turns before a solid kick of his boot to Paz’s middle sends him falling to the ground. Din steps forward and presses his boot upon Paz’s chest, letting the end of the stick hover over Paz’s throat as his chest heaves for air.

“ _ Yield _ ,” Din demands through gritted teeth, his grip tightening on the stick as he presses it against Paz’s skin.

Meanwhile, you sit there wide-eyed, your heart racing in your chest at everything you’ve just witnessed. Seeing the warrior side of Din is a brand new kind of experience. You can’t help wondering for a moment what other kinds of ways he can make you feel.

Paz chuckles and taps Din’s boot three times, instantly causing Din to shift back into his normal self as he extends a hand towards his friend. He helps him up, earning a pat on the shoulder from Paz. “

“ _ Jate bora _ ,” Paz praises Din.  _ Good work _ . “Your strength increases with each sparring session,  _ ner vod _ .” He steals a mischievous look at you. “I’m sure having your  _ cyar’ika _ here helped greatly with that today.”

Din shrugs, also looking at you with a sparkle in his eye. He lifts his brow when he observes your expression, causing you to bite back a smile as you nod at him. “I’m sure it did.” Paz chuckles again as he goes to pick up his stick, allowing Din a free moment to send a sly wink your way. You immediately look down as a frenzy of butterflies fills your stomach, making you giggle giddily to yourself as you let your legs hang off the bench again. You don’t look back up until a hand on your chin encourages you to, causing you to meet the lovely pair of adoring brown eyes that sparkle at you in a different kind of way. “How was it,  _ cyar’ika? _ ”

You try to form words, searching his eyes and losing yourself in them—especially as you recall all the scenes you’ve just witnessed. “You… definitely made me proud,” you assure him, taking one of his hands between yours.

“Yeah?” Din’s voice is soft, the word practically floating on air as he brings himself closer to you.

You swallow hard and nod, your gaze fluttering between his eyes and his lips as you try to maintain your self control, knowing who else is still in the room. “Yeah.”

Before you can get any closer, a sudden voice coming from the curtain makes you both separate quickly. “Din Djarin,” the Armorer calls, making Din stand up as straight as he can. You look and notice his cheeks reddening, likely in his embarrassment at being so caught up in you. “There you are.” The Armorer walks over to the two of you, looking pointedly at you as she tilts her helmet. “I wanted to see how your leg is.”

“I think it’s healed,” you inform her, propping it up on the bench to give her easier access to it. “I could walk on it with no pain.”

“Good,” the Armorer remarks, reaching gingerly for the wrap. “I will take this off, and then we can be sure of that.”

You nod, letting the Armorer unravel the wrap as it reveals skin that looks almost brand new. You can barely believe it after seeing how it looked the day before, causing you to exchange an amazed glance with Din before you look at the Armorer again.

“The solution worked perfectly,” the Armorer observes, keeping the wrap in her gloved hands as she nods at you. “I am glad to see you in full health.”

“I can’t thank you enough for your kindness and all your help,” you say genuinely. “You have no idea how much it means to me.”

The Armorer nods at you once again. “This is the Way,” she responds. “You are welcome to stay as long as you like, though I am sure your family is eagerly awaiting your return.”

You share a nervous look with Din, causing him to place a reassuring hand on your shoulder as you nod. “Yeah. I… probably should get back to them soon.”

The Armorer then leaves the room, causing you and Din to be left with Paz once again. The large warrior walks up to the two of you with kind eyes, his gaze focusing primarily on you. “In case I don’t get to see you before you go,” Paz starts, extending a hand towards you. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

You shake his outstretched hand, nodding respectfully at him. “And you as well, Paz.”

“ _ Vor entye par gotal’u ner vod bid briikase _ ,” Paz says with a warmth that gives you an idea of what he’s saying even if you don’t understand him.  _ Thank you for making my brother so happy.  _ With that, Paz leaves the two of you alone. You look at Din with evident sadness.

“I should probably head back home, shouldn’t I?” you whisper, hoping the lower volume will lessen the blow of the harsh reality that the words carry.

“Not yet,” Din remarks, making you furrow your brow with confusion as he smiles reassuringly at you. “We gave someone our word.” When you still look confused, Din clarifies. “The  _ adike _ .”

You can feel your eyes brighten at the thought of the children you and Din ran into yesterday. Din’s assurance to the little girl that you would both play with them today returns clearly in your mind as you smile widely up at him. “You’re right.”

Din smiles at the sight of your new optimism. He helps you up from the bench and holds your hand just like before, guiding you out of the training room and back to the main tunnel. The children are already playing around, causing them to squeal with delight at the sight of Din. They call out his name just like they had when you first arrived at the covert. Din releases your hand only to kneel down to their level, letting them tell him whatever random facts and parts of their day they want to before he starts asking what games they want to play.

You stay by Din’s side initially, needing his instructions on how most of the games are played before you can really get into it. Once you’re more deeply involved in each game, you find yourself having almost as much fun as the children, laughing shrilly with them and running around with the tireless energy of a true child. Even Din laughs with them like you’ve never heard before, the sight of him so easily interacting with all the children making your heart swell as you find yourself often staring admiringly in his direction.

The little girl who you’d spoken to the day before is the one who sticks the closest to you, telling you all about herself and her family even when the games are in session. You let her stay close, even holding her hand when she asks to as you partner up whenever you get the chance.

This often catches Din’s attention, allowing you both to share an affectionate gaze as you take quick glimpses at the potential of your future—should the summer happen to last forever. But, you know it won’t, and neither will this day.

It’s getting late when you and Din decide it’s time for you to head back home. Your new companion is heartbroken at the news, causing you to kneel in front of her as you give her a bright smile. “This won’t be the last time you see me,” you assure her, holding one of her little hands between your own.

“ _ Ori’haat? _ ” she asks, searching your eyes as she waits for you to respond.

Though you don’t know the true meaning of the word, you can guess what it’s similar to, causing you to nod as you repeat it back to her. “ _ Ori’haat _ .”

She returns your smile, nodding excitedly as she starts to run back towards her group of friends. You stand up and look over at Din, who’s already openly admiring you in a way that makes your heart do somersaults in your chest. He takes you by the hand and gestures with his head towards the nearby stairs. “Ready?” he asks you softly.

You sigh and look over the covert. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Din smiles bittersweetly at you, leading the way as he gives your hand a squeeze. “I’ll bring you back here,” Din assures you. “Don’t worry.”

You don’t bring up your protest about when, knowing the amount of time you have left together is ticking away more and more. It’s a conversation you’re not ready to have yet, still wanting to wallow in the honeymoon phase of your relationship as you continue to let Din guide you.

The walk back to your home is peacefully silent. You can tell the two of you are both weighing a lot of things on your minds, though for you the heaviest is the idea of you going back home. The covert felt more like a home in one day than your home ever has for your entire life, but you know that you can’t run away from this. You can sense Din’s desire to protect you, as if he wishes he could be right there with you to comfort you in your home. The separation—no matter how short it might be—won’t be easy, especially after getting the entire past day together. 

When your usual drop-off location comes into sight, you release a soft breath, looking at Din to see he’s already looking at you. With a giggle and a raised brow, you question him.

“What?” you ask, easily seeing the concern in his eyes.

Din sighs and stops, holding both your hands as he looks at you with worry. “Are you  _ sure  _ you’ll be okay here?” Din questions, his voice low as he steals a quick glance at your home in the distance.

You nod and brush your thumbs over the backs of his hands. “Yes, Din, I’m sure. I may not like it here that much, but I’ve made it all right so far in my life, haven’t I?” Din’s concern visibly lessens at that. “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay.” Din’s still not entirely convinced, but you know it’s enough to comfort him for now. “But if you need  _ anything _ —.”

“Don’t worry, Din, I know where to go.” You take a hold of one side of his face and press a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”

Din smiles, leaning in for the sweetest of kisses. He’s learned now to let go completely, allowing you to melt against him as his hands draw your waist right up against him. His moves are passionate yet respectful and affectionate all at once, making you ache with admiration that almost burns. When Din pulls away, his lips linger, his eyes opening slowly as if each little movement away from each other is painful to him. You feel the same way.

“Get home safe, Din,” you whisper, brushing your nose against his.

“I will.” Din smiles and kisses your forehead. “Goodnight,  _ ner kar’ta _ . I’ll see you again very soon.”

“I’m counting on it.” You slowly start to step away from him. “Goodnight.”

Each step you take further away from Din is like torture, especially as you let your gaze linger on him. It’s only when you completely turn around and walk towards your house that you’re able to do it with purposeful strides, letting the memories of the past day comfort you as you manage to smile on the way to your home.

What you don’t know is what’s awaiting you across the threshold, something that could dramatically change the course of this summer.


	8. Painful Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When your secret gets out, your parents ask for something unexpected—something that could change everything.

“They know.”

Drinna furrows her brow at your words. You glance at her while you set out the jars of medicines, hoping the simple task along with your disclosure of this knowledge to Drinna will ease your anxiety. “What do ya’ mean, honey?” Drinna asks, seeking clarification.

“My parents.” You stop what you’re doing, looking at her with concerned eyes. “They  _ know _ .”

Drinna’s gaze fills with realization. “Ah.” She offers a sympathetic expression that she maintains even when you go back to your busy work. “Well, hon, ya’ knew it was gonna be a matter of  _ when _ , not  _ if _ . You two ain’t the most subtle.”

You chuckle at that with a shrug of your shoulders. “Yeah, I mean… I should’ve been more careful, I guess.”

“What did they say? Do ya’ know how they found out?”

You don’t answer right away, instead finishing your organization of the jars and pushing the hovercart further behind the stall. With a sigh, you sit down, facing Drinna as you begin to fill her in. “I was with Din this weekend, but while we were spending time together, there was an incident.” You don’t elaborate, deeming it unnecessary to give Drinna a panic attack over something that healed quickly. “Din had to take me to his home and I… ended up having to stay the night.” You rush on the last few words, knowing exactly what Drinna will be concluding from such a statement.

“Stayed the  _ night? _ ” Drinna echoes with a suggestive raise of her brow.

“It wasn’t like that, Drinna.” You roll your eyes and force a chuckle out. “We were with his  _ family _ .” You sigh, looking down at your fingers as they begin to fidget with each other. “When I got home, I told my parents that I was with you, but they claimed that they had already seen me with Din when he dropped me off at home.”

Drinna’s expression has since morphed into concern. “Oh, darlin’... what did they say?”

“That might be what worries me the most.” You look at her with sheer confusion. “They said they want to meet him.”

Drinna raises an eyebrow. “They weren’t mad?”

“Not from what I could tell.” You start to run your hands over your thighs as you release a deep breath. “That’s why I’m so worried. You know how they feel about me being with someone before the move.”

“I do.” Drinna scoots to the edge of her chair, reaching out far enough to take a hold of your wrist. She urges your hand to lift from your thigh and takes it in her gentle grasp. “But maybe, just maybe, even _they_ can see how happy you are with him—and they want to keep ya’ like that.”

You shake your head, wanting to smile at Drinna’s words but finding yourself unable to. “It just sounds way too good to be true, Drinna.”

Drinna’s gaze softens at you as she squeezes your hand. “I understand, honey.” Her warm voice is full of wisdom as she continues. “I know it ain’t easy, but maybe this one time, darlin’, you should trust ‘em.”

“You’re right. I just…” you pause, shaking your head again as you try to remember any of the few good memories you have with your parents, “I’m afraid to.”

“Again, hon, I understand.” Drinna squeezes your hand once more and starts to lean away. “That’s why you can come to me if  _ anythin’  _ goes wrong.”

You smile as you nod. “Thank you, Drinna.”

She returns your smile, reluctant to pull her attention away from you when a customer steps up to her stall. You get one yourself just a moment later. Afterwards, there’s a flow of customers steady enough for you to be properly distracted from your worries for a while. By the time you’re even able to have a full moment to yourself, your break for second meal has arrived—something you realize when you see a much-needed person approaching your stall.

“Din,” you breathe his name loud enough for him to hear. You’re out of the chair so fast you can hear it rattling against the ground as you close the distance between the two of you. Though it hasn’t been long since you’ve last seen Din, spending so much time with him in the covert has taught you that even a single moment spent away from him feels like a lifetime—especially in the midst of your current worries. You indulge in the feeling of his presence, colliding into him as you wrap your arms around his middle and rest your cheek upon his chest. Din falls back a step in surprise of your eager grasp, though he hastens to recover as he embraces you back. His hand is gentle upon the back of your head as he speaks to you with a soft voice.

“ _ Cyar’ika _ ,  _ ner kar’ta _ .” Hearing the familiar endearments roll off his tongue is as sweet as the sunshine upon your back, even amidst your concerns. “Is something wrong? You seem… afraid.”

You shouldn’t be surprised at the way Din already knows you too well. Still, the gentle way in which he approaches it helps you to feel more and more at ease. You relax into his figure as you answer. “My parents found out about us, Din.”

You can feel his body tense at your words—but the sensation only lasts for a moment. Din pulls you closer before he responds. “Are they upset?”

“No.” With a deep breath, you lift your head from his chest, meeting his expression of concern. “They—well, they want to meet you.”

Din’s brow lifts as his brown eyes sparkle with hope. “Really?”

You nod. “Really.” When you don’t share his excitement, Din’s expression starts to fall again. “I know it  _ sounds _ good, but… Din, I don’t know. I’m worried. They shouldn’t be eager about this.”

Din’s gaze looks away from you for a moment, as if he’s contemplating your words. His jaw clenches before he looks at you again. “Do you think it’s possible they could’ve changed their minds? Maybe… maybe they’re happy  _ you’re _ happy.”

“That’s what I said!” Drinna chips in, causing you to take a step away from Din as you turn around to face her. She’s fanning herself with one of her own creations, her feet kicked up on her stall as she nods at Din. “I really think it’s worth a shot, honey. What’s the worst that could happen?”

You want to shiver at the thought. Though your parents have had yet to be openly cruel to you, they’ve seemed distant as of late— _ too  _ distant. You wonder if their knowledge of your relationship is their breaking point and now they’re going to make you suffer for it.

_ You’re just being paranoid _ , you tell yourself, pasting on a small smile as you look at Din again. “She’s right. If you’re okay with it, then so am I.”

One of Din’s hands lifts to cup your cheek, his gaze searching yours intently. “Are you sure,  _ cyar’ika? _ ”

You nod, smiling wider as you cover his hand with yours. “What could go wrong as long as you’re by my side?”

Din returns your smile upon hearing that, mumbling an agreement against your forehead as he kisses it. He then leads you off to second meal, taking you to your usual place on the hill. You make your plans for the evening, both of you wanting to get the meeting with your parents done as soon as possible. Though you’ve been trying your best to hide it, you know your worry is still obvious. Din does his best to ease your mind, kissing the wrinkle between your brows and kissing your lips until they ache and smile as wide as they can manage. By the time Din’s dropping you off at your stall again, you find yourself feeling much more relaxed about the upcoming evening, especially at the idea of getting to see him again.

When Din returns to help you clean up your stall and escort you home, you can tell he’s wearing his best clothes. You grin at the sight of him, making your fond admiration of him obvious as he steps up to you.

“Well, don’t you look handsome,” you say, smiling more when Din’s cheeks flush pink. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

Din shakes his head as he takes your hand and kisses your knuckles. “That’s quite the compliment coming from someone who looks like  _ you _ .”

You pull your hand away in your own embarrassment, biting back your smile when you hear Din laugh. “All right, hotshot, we have to be quick. We wouldn’t want to get back to the house later than expected.”

Din nods, an expression of severity falling over him as he prepares himself for the evening ahead. You grimace at the idea of Din being nervous. He’s silent as he helps you stock the boxes up and then pushes the hovercart for you. Din takes care of the heavy lifting in the store as you stand by, crossing your arms and watching him with a furrowed brow. When he finally walks back over to him, you reach for his hand, keeping it tight in yours as you head home.

“Din,” you begin, squeezing his hand to catch his attention. “My parents’ opinions of you don’t matter. You do know that, right?”

Din ponders your words for a long moment. While he thinks, he swings your hands between the two of you, an action so adorable that you have to bite back a smile. Din shrugs and looks at you with honesty. “I still want to make the best impression I can.” He pauses, staring at the way ahead as he gives your hand a squeeze. “I just can’t help thinking… maybe if I make a good impression, your parents, they’ll—they’ll be more supportive of you. Of  _ us _ .” Din looks at you again with a hopeful expression. “You know?”

You draw yourself closer to his side as you nod. “I understand.” You lift your free hand and wrap it around his arm, hoping to release some of the tension within him as you continue. “But there’s no pressure on you to accomplish that. All right? The fact we even get to have this evening is… a big step. I don’t expect anything more.”

Din nods, kissing your temple in silent thanks as you finish the walk to your house in sweet silence. When it looms in the distance, you can feel your stress returning, making you hold back a grimace as you lead Din closer and closer in that direction. In the true style of a Mandalorian-in-training, he looks as calm as ever, causing your own anxiety to lessen as he gives your hand one last reassuring squeeze.

You open the front door and step through the threshold, keeping Din’s hand in yours as you do so. “Mother, father, I’m home!” you announce, walking through the sitting room to the kitchen. Your mother is already cooking third meal as your father sits at the table, reading something on a holopad that he looks away from once you and Din enter the room. His brow lifts when he notices Din at your side.

“Is this the boy?” your father asks, pointing at Din. You nod, drawing yourself closer to Din’s side amidst your sudden uneasiness. Din keeps you there even as he walks forward with you, only dropping your hand to reach his out towards your father.

“Din,” Din introduces himself, smiling in that polite and charming way that makes you grin yourself. Your father accepts his hand to shake it with slight hesitance, though you hope it’s something only you have noticed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

Your father doesn’t respond just yet, instead pulling his hand away and using it to gesture to the two chairs across from him. “Sit,” your father instructs. “Third meal will be ready any moment now.”

Din pulls your chair out for you, taking your hand to help you into your seat in a way that gives you butterflies. He then looks to where your mother’s wrapping up her cooking. “Oh, I can help with—.”

“ _ Sit _ .” Your father cuts him off with a curt tone, which is enough to make Din sink into his chair. You push yours close to his side, grabbing his hand underneath the table as the tension already starts to build. “We don’t need guests serving us within our own home.”

“I apologize, sir.” Din’s words are genuine, as meaningful as the thumb he brushes over the back of your hand to calm you.

“He was just trying to help, father,” you mumble.

“What was that?” your father retorts.

“I  _ said _ —,” you begin to challenge him.

“It’s all right,” Din steps in, as calm as ever. He urges you to look at him, his brown eyes alone helping you to keep your cool as he goes on. “I should’ve listened to your father’s first request.”

Tense silence fills the room for a few, long moments, only dissipating when your mother brings third meal over to the table and sits beside your father. The sound of silverware at least provides some kind of background noise as your mother starts to serve everyone. When she sits down, Din stands to quickly shake her hand across the table, repeating the same introduction he offered to your father before he sits again.

“How’d you two meet?” Your father asks this question just before he begins to eat. You look over and meet Din’s gaze, giving his hand a squeeze as you prepare to answer.

“Din came by the stall one day, at the beginning of the summer,” you say, smiling when you catch Din’s smile out of the corner of your eye. “He was really fascinated by the ramitrol. He helped me—.”

“Ramitrol?” your mother speaks up this time, wrinkling her brow at you. “Why did you have ramitrol at the stall? You know we keep that in low stock.”

“I just—I bring it with me sometimes, just in case,” you explain, caught off guard by the interruption. “That’s not relevant to the story.”

“It  _ will  _ be relevant when you continue the business on your own,” your mother goes on. “You have to stay resourceful.”

You take a deep breath, forcing yourself to stay calm with Din present. His hand drops yours to instead rest upon your thigh, giving it a soft squeeze that comforts you more than he knows. “Anyway… that’s how we met. He kept coming back to the stall and then we started getting meals together.”

“So, what I’m hearing is he distracts you from work,” your father remarks.

You grip your utensil harder than you should, staring your father down as you furrow your brow at him. Before you have a chance to speak, Din decides to pitch in. “Absolutely not, sir,” Din assures your father. “I always make sure the stall has no customers before I approach.”

Now that your father’s attention is back on Din, he starts to question him. “And what do you do for a living?”

“I’m a Mandalorian,” Din answers. You don’t miss the way both your parents freeze upon hearing that, making a cold feeling of dread wash over you as Din continues. “I’m training to protect my covert.”

“A Mandalorian,” your mother echoes, sharing a look with your father. You only become more nervous upon watching them. “All I’ve heard about Mandalorians is that they’re good at killing.”

“Mother,” you warn, widening your eyes at her.

“You’re training to be a murderer, then?” your father asks.

“ _ Father! _ ” you exclaim with dismay.

“We prefer not to reach that extreme,” Din explains. His tone is cool. You can tell he’s beginning to lose his own composure. “We just want to keep our covert safe. They’re our family.”

“And they’re  _ very  _ kind,” you add. “They took good care of me.”

“Better than your own family?” your mother questions.

You’re fuming now and there’s nothing that can hold you back, not even Din. He gives your thigh another squeeze in an attempt to calm you down, but it won’t work this time. “Actually? Yes. Yes they are.”

“Excuse me?” your father says.

“They don’t force their children to do things against their will,” you continue to rant, “and they’re  _ very  _ welcoming of others.”

“Have we not welcomed this  _ stranger  _ into our home?” your mother reminds you.

“Any place where he’s considered a stranger is  _ not  _ a home to me,” you snap, taking Din’s hand in yours again and setting it upon the table for your parents to see.

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” your father scoffs. “You’re young and immature. You haven’t even experienced real life in this galaxy.”

“And  _ you  _ have?” you continue to argue with a fiery passion. “The two of you have lived on Scespa your whole lives! No wonder why you’re sending  _ me  _ to the Brelle system. You’re too scared to go there yourselves!”

“You better watch your mouth,” your father scolds. “We’ve been giving you enough freedom to meet this boy and we can take that away if you keep this up.”

“Freedom?  _ Freedom? _ ” You laugh, but it’s not with amusement. “Who are you to say I have freedom when you’re forcing me into a life I never asked for?”

“ _ Cyar’ika _ …” Din attempts to soothe you, keeping his voice low enough for only you to hear.

“And you think you’ll have freedom being with a  _ Mandalorian? _ ” your mother scorns. “Don’t you know how restrictive they are, hiding underground and covering their faces?”

“It’s our  _ Way _ ,” Din retorts in a warning tone.

“It’s his choice!” you defend Din’s people. “They’re not forcing him to do anything! He’s swearing the Creed on his own terms!”

“Lower your voice,” your mother demands.

“You don’t know kriff about freedom,” your father insists, “and until you do, you won’t be able to see this boy anymore.”

You narrow your eyes and tighten your hold on Din’s hand. “You can’t do that,” you say in a low, trembling voice. “I won’t let you.”

“We gave you freedom and you brought a future  _ murderer  _ into our home,” your mother reminds you.

“He is no such thing,” you growl, having passed your limit many moments ago.

“And what do you know of him?” your father scoffs. “You just met him at the beginning of the summer!”

“I know that I  _ love _ him!” you exclaim, standing from your chair so rapidly that it screeches across the floor behind you. Din also stands beside you, keeping his grip on your hand as you continue. “And if that’s something you can’t accept, then you I guess you don’t accept me, either!”

You urge Din to turn away from the table with you, preparing to march towards the door and leave this place that no longer feels like a home. Before you can get far, you feel a rough grasp around your arm, pulling you back and tearing your hand away from Din’s. You turn your head over your shoulder and see your father standing there with a face contorted in anger, his grip hard enough to leave a bruise behind—but that doesn’t last for long. Din steps forward to grasp your father’s wrist just as harshly, furrowing his brow as he speaks in a voice so full of wrath and cold warning that it makes you shiver. “Let go of them,” Din demands. “ _ Now _ .”

Your father narrows his eyes as he obeys, though you don’t miss the hint of fear he tries to hide from his expression. “You’re making a grave mistake,” your father warns.

“Treat them like this again and I’ll show you what a grave mistake is,” Din insists, his jaw hardened as he brushes his hand over your lower back to urge you forward. “Come,  _ cyar’ika _ .”

You walk with him back to the front of the house, stepping through the threshold and leaving it behind in tense silence. Your hand holds Din’s once again as you hurry forward, unsure of where you’re even going as you push ahead. You’re humming with rage and emotions you can’t even begin to process, your mind screaming with dozens of things you wish you could yell right into your parents’ faces.

“ _ Ner kar’ta _ ,” Din calls for you in a soft voice.

“How could they say those things, Din?” you begin to rant, your brow furrowed as you focus on the ground moving beneath your feet. “They don’t even know you! They don’t even—they don’t know  _ anything! _ ”

“It’s okay,” Din assures you, sounding much calmer than before—though it doesn’t help you now.

“It’s not okay!” you go on. “You’re not a murderer, you—you’re the kindest and most caring person I’ve ever known! I’ve  _ seen  _ it, I—how could they say I don’t know you?”

“ _ Cyare _ ,” Din tries to call for you again.

“And then they tried to keep me from seeing you?” You scoff, shaking your head as you keep rushing forward and taking Din along with you. “Who do they think they are? They think they know me? I’m no child of theirs, then!” Din doesn’t even get a chance to speak again before you continue. “I can’t believe they’d say all that, I… I know they’re not horrible people, I’m supposed to love them, but—how can I when they treat us like that?”

You don’t realize how out of breath you are until now, your chest heaving as you continue to march forward. You can feel Din giving your hand a gentle tug to encourage you to stop, but you can’t bring yourself to obey,  _ needing  _ to put as much distance between yourself and your parents’ house as you can.

“I hate them,” you mutter with pure anger present behind each word. “I  _ hate  _ them and the way they don’t use their knowledge for good!”

“ _ Cyar’ika _ , please—,” Din tries again.

“I hate that they keep these medicinal secrets to themselves! I hate that they only sell what they think is profitable! I hate everything they stand for—I  _ hate  _ them, Din!”

“ _ Ner kar’ta _ , please,  _ breathe _ .” Din’s words are firm in a caring way as he takes his hand from yours, instead gripping your shoulders as he makes you face him. It’s only when you stop that you realize you’ve walked all the way to your spot on the hill, where you can see that the colors of the sky are fading into the night. Your chest heaves with all the emotion that’s welling up inside you, your eyes full of frustrated tears waiting to be shed. Din’s gentle image blurs before you as he eases his hands onto the side of your face. You know his expression is full of the care and concern that never fails to give you butterflies, but you can’t make it out past your tears.

Though you’ve tried to push it away, a sob tears its way through your burning throat, making you collapse into Din’s arms as you bury your face in his chest. He holds you tight against him, whispering sweet nothings into your ear to soothe you. Din sinks down to his knees on the grass, taking you with him as you wrap your arms tightly against his middle. You cry so hard that it becomes difficult to speak, but once you can, the words come out in an incoherent mess. “I’m sorry, Din,” you weep, your voice muffled by the material of his shirt. “I’m sorry they said those things to you. I’m sorry that I thought this would turn out differently.”

“Don’t apologize,” Din whispers, kissing your head to comfort you. “You don’t have to take responsibility for the things they said. It’s not your fault.”

“But I should’ve—I should’ve kept them from saying more,” you whimper. “I should’ve gotten us out of there sooner.”

“You did everything you could,” Din assures you, brushing his hand over the back of your head. “It’s  _ not your fault _ .”

You wait until you’ve cried out the last of your tears, sniffling a few times before you lift your head to face Din directly. He holds your face in his hands again, using his thumbs to wipe away your tears as best as he can. Losing yourself in his gaze works to calm you, making you feel safe and secure again as his eyes sparkle in the golden hour of the setting sun. You take a deep breath as you even start to smile, watching Din do the same before his brow furrows in severity.

“ _ Cyar’ika _ ,” Din begins, searching your eyes as he continues in a careful tone. “You… you said you loved me.”

Your heart begins to beat wildly against your chest as you think back to the words you’d spoken to your parents. You were so caught up in your emotions that you didn’t even think about Din hearing the truth that’s been buried within you for quite a while, now. You’re unable to think of words with which to respond to Din, instead meeting his gaze as he goes on.

“Did you mean it?” Din’s words are quieter now, as if he’s afraid to ask them.

“Of course I did.” You rush the words out, not wanting Din to doubt your feelings for even a single moment. You smile as you search his sparkling eyes. “I love you, Din.”

His gaze softens in a way you’ve never seen before, the corners of his mouth beginning to lift in that sweet smile you adore. Din pulls you closer as he rests his forehead against yours. “I love you too,  _ cyar’ika _ ,” Din says, his words soft yet meaningful. “I… I’ve been wanting to tell you, but I was afraid of scaring you because I know time’s passed by quickly, and I didn’t want you to feel…” Din hesitates, trying to find a word for his thoughts—and failing.

Instead, you speak amidst the silence. “I feel nothing  _ but  _ love, Din. I promise you.”

Din comes closer until his nose and his lips brush against yours, his voice soft as he murmurs his response. “I promise you, too.”

With that, he presses his lips fully upon yours, submerging you in the feeling you can never get enough of. Your heightened emotions from the encounter with your parents makes everything stronger, clouding your mind as you put everything you possibly can into the kiss. Your hands travel from his chest to his neck and into his hair, tugging the ends as you lay back and urge Din to come with you. He obliges for now, hovering over you on the grass as one of his hands holds your face and the other supports his weight. You sigh with pure pleasure at the feeling of  _ him _ , his unrestrained love that pours over you so freely. You  _ do  _ know what freedom is—and you don’t want to stop feeling it.

When you’re forced to part for air, your gaze meets Din with desperation, your hands now clinging to the sides of his face as if you’ll fall far away if you let go. “Din,” you whisper, lost in the haze of his love and caught up in all the emotions of the evening. “Love me. I—I need you to love me until I’ve forgotten everything except for you.”

Din holds a breath in his chest, looking down at you as if you’re the most precious creation in the galaxy—but hesitating as he brushes his thumb over your cheek. “I… would love to,  _ ner kar’ta _ ,” Din begins, his tone cautious. “I want that just as badly. But, I… I can’t.”

You can feel your heart fall into your stomach as you furrow your brow, the rejection stinging harder than it should. “What do you mean, you can’t?”

Din sighs and you can tell he’s thinking carefully about each and every word he says. It still doesn’t make your rising anger dissipate. “I can’t right  _ now _ ,  _ cyare _ ,” Din explains. “Not under these circumstances.”

“What circumstances?” You frown as you sit up on your elbows, forcing Din to lean back on his heels. “You don’t believe me, do you? You don’t think I really love you.”

“That’s not true,” Din insists, worry etched on his features. “I believe you. I just—.”

“You think I can’t handle making this decision for myself.” You scoff, shaking your head in disappointment. Deep down, you know you’re being irrational, but the whirlwind of emotions you’ve experienced this evening clouds your judgement.

“ _ Cyar’ika _ , please, don’t put words in my mouth.”

“You didn’t have to say anything. I can  _ see  _ it on your face.” You start to stand up, at least thankful for the fact that Din backs off and gives you space to do so.

“You’ve been hurt badly tonight.” Din’s desperation to get through to you is obvious in his tone. “I can’t—I can’t take advantage of that. Not when your mind is distracted.”

You narrow your eyes as you cross your arms defensively over your chest. “You mean, not when I’m being  _ irrational? _ ”

Din struggles to hide his own frustration now as he sets his hands on his hips. “I didn’t say that.” He releases a breath and furrows his brow at you. “I just want what’s best for you.”

“Just like my parents do, huh?” You take a step closer to Din, lifting your chin in a challenging manner as your lips start to tremble like before. “Why don’t you just go back to them and agree that everything I’ve decided for my own life has been a mistake— _ including  _ you?”

You know the words strike hard—harder than you wanted them to. You regret them the moment they leave your mouth, especially upon seeing the defeated and hurt expression on his handsome face. His hands fall back to his sides as he speaks with a voice so quiet it aches. “You don’t mean that.”

Your vision starts to blur as you shake your head, avoiding the deep hurt in his brown eyes that you love more than you can say. “I don’t… I don’t know what I believe anymore.”

When you finally gain the faith to look at Din again, you can see him taking a cautious step towards you, his hand beginning to reach out. “ _ Cyar’ika _ —.”

“No.” You step back, moving away from his attempt at comfort as deep guilt washes over you. You don’t deserve his pity after the way you just hurt him. A tear escapes your eye at the mere thought of it, at the horror you feel upon remembering what you’d said. “I can’t… I don’t…” Your lips tremble more and more as your throat burns just like before, wanting nothing more than to be comforted by Din but feeling unworthy in the face of your harsh words. “I’m sorry—I’m  _ so  _ sorry, Din.”

Unable to face him any longer, you turn and start to run forward, again unsure of where you’re going but refusing to hurt Din any more than you already have. Your chest aches both from the hurt you’ve caused and the cries you’re trying to keep buried within you, especially as you hear Din’s voice calling for you. You can’t bring yourself to listen to him. Your feet carry you back into town, onto a familiar path to the only place where you can think of finding at least a shred of the comfort you want to seek from Din.

You get there in record time as you knock on the door, looking over your shoulder with relief when you realize Din hasn’t followed you here. The door slides open and Drinna stands there with a joyful expression that quickly fades when she observes the tears in your eyes.

“Oh, honey, what’s happened?” Drinna greets with strong sympathy, catching you in her arms when you latch onto her. She manages to shut the door and get you both over to her couch, sitting down and letting you hug her from the side. You manage to keep most of your cries buried within you, your chest heaving from the effort as Drinna runs her hand repetitively over your head. “Was it ya’ parents? And where’s Din?”

The sound of his name makes you want to weep as hard as you can, but you swallow the urge down, instead lifting your head from her shoulder as you start to tell her about everything that’s happened. You begin with the dinner and even tell her of your loving confessions, barely able to repeat the hurtful words you’d said to Din as your emotions of hurt from your parents start to fade and make your judgement clearer again.

You shake your head as you finish, wiping your eyes with the backs of your hands as you release a trembling breath. “I’m  _ so  _ stupid, Drinna,” you say with resentment targeted towards yourself. “All Din wanted to do was help, but I hurt him. What if he doesn’t—what if he can’t—…” your mind can’t conceive of losing him, causing you to trail off as you look at her with desperation and shame.

“Hon, don’t do that to yourself,” Drinna chastises with a gentle voice, urging your head to lean against her shoulder as she wraps a comforting arm around you. “Din knows you  _ real  _ well, better than you’re aware of. He knows you didn’t mean that—he said it to ya’ himself!”

“But you didn’t see how  _ hurt  _ he looked,” you insist, closing your burning eyes as the image of Din’s defeated expression haunts your mind. “Even if he knows I didn’t mean it, I still said it, and I hurt him. All he wanted to do was protect me… and he was right. I would’ve regretted it if we went through with it.”

“Darlin’, if you really think he was right, then you should tell him that.”

You furrow your brow and shake your head hopelessly. “I can’t. I don’t know where he is. He’s probably in the covert trying not to think about me.”

Drinna urges you to lift your head from her shoulder, facing you with a twinkle in her eye. “Honey, he’s right outside.”

Your jaw drops in shock as you glance at the door. You can’t see anything from here. “How… how do you know that?”

“For starters, I’ve gotten to know Din pretty well.” Drinna smiles as she starts to explain herself. “He’s come over a few times, wantin’ to get to know ya’ better and get advice from me.”

You sit there in disbelief as you listen to her. “He… really?”

“Think about it more, hon, and it won’t shock ya’ as much.” Drinna glances towards the door just like you had before. “Plus, when I was takin’ you in here, I saw him comin’ ‘round the corner.” Drinna cups your cheek with motherly affection. “You really think Din would leave ya’ alone in your time of need, no matter what ya’ said?”

You look at the door again, managing to crack a smile as you meet Drinna’s gaze again. “You’re right.”

Drinna pats your cheek and gestures to the door. “Then go get him, darlin’.”

You smile wider and thank her with a quick hug, standing up and hurrying to the door. You take a deep breath as you let it slide open, looking to your right just to see Din pacing and wringing his hands. He looks up as soon as you step through the threshold, his gaze filling with relief as he stops what he’s doing. You know he wants to approach you, but he hesitates, afraid of making you run away again.

This time, you run to him, throwing your arms around him as you pull him as close as possible. “I’m sorry, Din,” you confess with as much meaning as you can manage. Your words are muffled by his shirt but you know he can still make them out. “I’m  _ so  _ sorry. You were right, you did all the right things. I’m sorry I was being so irrational and I’m sorry that I hurt you.”

Din holds you in the way you love so much, one hand supporting your back as the other holds your head against him. “That’s a lot of sorrys,” Din jokes, making you laugh as you close your eyes and breathe him in. “It’s all right,  _ ner kar’ta _ . I understand. You’ve… been through a lot today.”

You take a deep breath before you lift your face from his chest, bringing your hands to his cheeks as you stare into his brown eyes. “I didn’t mean what I said before,” you reiterate, making your voice as serious as you can manage. “Please tell me you know that.”

“I know.” Din takes your face in his hands, pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead before he beams at you. “I know you love me just as much as I love you.”

You nod as you brush your thumbs over his cheeks. “I do.” You press a soft and tender kiss to his mouth, keeping it short to be mindful of any passerby as you smile at him. “Thank you for coming back for me.”

Din’s gaze never leaves yours as he answers. “I always will.”

Your smile widens as you step away from him, taking one of his hands and lacing it with your own. “Can we go home now?”

When you use the term “home,” you know Din understands what place you’re referring to—something that makes him smile at you with breathless adoration as he nods. “Yes, let’s get you home.”

With his hand tight in yours, Din starts to lead you back home to the covert, reminding you of the truth that no matter what might happen this summer, Din will do everything he can to remain by your side.


End file.
